One-pot synthesis of ultrahydrophobic mesoporous silica nanoparticles

Ultrahydrophobic mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) were prepared using a simple one-pot synthesis. A template of polystyrene (PS) was simultaneously synthesized during condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS). Co-condensation of TEOS with trimethyl (fluoromethyl) silane provided core–shell MSNPs with low surface energies. The mesoporous structure of MSNPs after the removal of the PS template was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method. Coated on substrates, these fluorinated MSNPs showed oleophobic and ultrahydrophobic characteristics and developed a nanostructure with a rough surface that produced water contact angle as high as 151°. This MSNP synthesis provides a promising method to be used in creating nano-coated materials.