Correlating Material Properties with the Wear Behavior of Sol–Gel Derived Superhydrophobic Films

Superhydrophobic films are routinely prepared utilizing sol–gel chemistry; however, their application toward self‐cleaning or antifouling is limited by low mechanical strength. To distinguish which material properties are required to improve wear resistance, sol–gel superhydrophobic films are prepared utilizing a breadth of polymer matrices. Through surface analysis and tribology considerations, the wear behavior of these films is then able to be correlated to the material properties of the polymer matrices. The results demonstrate crosslinking to be highly effective at improving wear resistance and display a distinct correlation to plasticity index, Ψ and property ratios Hardness (H)/Young's modulus (E) and H 3 /E 2 . The latter two parameters should be maximized to provide longevity of superhydrophobicity against wear.