Facile preparation of a robust, transparent superhydrophobic ZnO coating with self-cleaning, UV-blocking and bacterial anti-adhesion properties

Transparent superhydrophobic coating has been widely investigated for their great potential applications in self-cleaning windows, solar panels, lenses, and optoelectronic devices. Herein, we reported a robust ZnO coating with high transmittance and superhydrophobicity, which was prepared by a facile sol-gel method and post-modification with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane. To well control the surface morphology and roughness of the ZnO coating, CTAB was added in the precursor. When the concentration of Zn2+ was 1.2 mol/L, and the ratio of CTAB/Zn2+ was 0.1, the prepared ZnO coating showed 91.2 % transmittance at a wavelength of 600 nm. A drop of water with a near spherical shape on the coating exhibited a water contact angle of 162.0° ± 1.7° and rebounding back and forth for 7 times in 260.3 ms. Moreover, the ZnO coating shows remarkable stability against water dripping impact, sand impact abrasion and scratching test, while retaining its superhydrophobicity. Furthermore, the ZnO coating also shows self-cleaning, UV-blocking and anti-bioadhesion properties. The prepared transparent superhydrophobic ZnO coating may open a new gate to a variety of practical applications, including windshields, eyeglasses, windows for tall buildings and medical glass, ect.