Highly transparent superamphiphobic surfaces by elaborate microstructure regulation.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Superamphiphobic surfaces offer unique wettability but struggle with low surface tension liquid adhesion and transparency.
• Existing superamphiphobic materials often compromise optical properties, limiting practical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop highly transparent superamphiphobic surfaces overcoming limitations of current technologies.
• To investigate the relationship between microstructure, superamphiphobicity, and transparency.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized silica nanotubes via polysiloxane coating on multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) followed by calcination.
• Utilized chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane onto silica nanotubes.
• Systematically studied parameters like MWCNT concentration, re-dispersing solvents, and spray-coating density.

Main Results:

• Achieved superamphiphobic surfaces with extremely low sliding angles for liquids down to 21.6 mN/m.
• Demonstrated very high optical transparency, surpassing most reported superamphiphobic surfaces.
• Identified solvent choice for polysiloxane modification as critical for microstructure, superamphiphobicity, and transparency.

Conclusions:

• Successfully engineered transparent superamphiphobic surfaces with enhanced performance.
• The developed surfaces show significant potential for applications requiring both repellency and clarity.
• Microstructure control via solvent selection is key to achieving desired surface properties.