Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 2, 2026
11:20
Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Metal Surfaces for Anti-Icing Applications
Published on: August 15, 2018
8.9K
Imparting Superhydrophobicity with a Hierarchical Block Copolymer Coating
Li-Chen Cheng1, John W Simonaitis2, Karim R Gadelrab1
1Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|December 7, 2019
Summary
Researchers developed a robust, transparent silica-like coating using block copolymer self-assembly. This hierarchical surface structure creates superhydrophobicity, repelling water effectively with a contact angle up to 155 degrees.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Superhydrophobic surfaces mimic natural water-repellent phenomena.
- Achieving robust, transparent, and scalable superhydrophobic coatings remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate a robust and transparent silica-like coating with superhydrophobic properties.
- To establish a link between hierarchical surface topography and superhydrophobicity.
- To develop a model for optimizing superhydrophobic surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Iterative spin-coating, annealing, and etching of polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane block copolymer thin films.
- Fabrication of multilayer nanoscale topographic patterns.
- Development of a wetting angle model based on hierarchical topography.
Main Results:
- A transparent, silica-like coating exhibiting superhydrophobicity with a water contact angle up to 155° was achieved.
- The hierarchical multilevel self-assembled structure was confirmed to be responsible for superhydrophobicity.
- The developed model accurately predicted wetting angles and explained the role of multi-lengthscale roughness.
Conclusions:
- Hierarchical self-assembly of block copolymers offers a viable route to robust, transparent superhydrophobic surfaces.
- The developed model provides a tool for designing and optimizing superhydrophobic materials.
- The resulting surfaces possess desirable mechanical robustness and optical properties.
