Preparation and performance study of superhydrophobic layer based on fluffy ZnO rods/PDMS

The preparation of superhydrophobic layers and their research in various fields has always been a hot topic. In this work, we designed a fluffy micro-nano structure model of Zinc oxide (ZnO) to investigate their superhydrophobic properties furtherly. A simple and easily achievable preparation method of superhydrophobic coatings was proposed: The ZnO/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer was prepared by strictly controlling the ratio of ZnO to PDMS. Based on this, the staggered-growth ZnO rods were prepared on the substrate surface by hydrothermal method. These ZnO rods are structured with micrometer lengths and nanometer diameters, and they form a fluffy ZnO layer on the original coating surface. After being modified by 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane, the coating possessed excellent superhydrophobic properties with a contact angle of 161° After growing ZnO rods on the surface, the surface roughness was reduced from 326 nm to 181 nm. The superhydrophobic coating has excellent self-cleaning properties, high resistance to acid and alkali corrosion, and superhydrophobic properties against various common liquids. Even after exposure to air for up to 6 months, the contact angle of the superhydrophobic coating can remain above 153° This study provides an excellent idea for future research on superhydrophobic coatings.