Abrasion‐Resistant, Hot Water‐Repellent and Self‐Cleaning Superhydrophobic Surfaces Fabricated by Electrophoresis of Nanoparticles in Electrodeposited Sol–Gel Films

The present work reports on a new strategy for fabrication of mechanically stable and environmental‐friendly superhydrophobic surfaces. First, a novel cost‐effective approach is developed to synthesize superhydrophobic SiO 2 (SH‐SiO 2 ) nanoparticles at room temperature through the reaction between the surface reactive groups on commercial SiO 2 nanoparticles and the long‐chain alkyl fluorine‐free organosilane. Then, the superhydrophobic films are constructed by electrophoresis of SH‐SiO 2 nanoparticles into a matrix of robust and highly porous electrodeposited silica film. The as‐prepared superhydrophobic composite surfaces exhibit high abrasion resistance, excellent repellency even to hot water droplet, and good self‐cleaning properties in either air or oil environment.