Electrospun SiO2 nanofibers as a template to fabricate a robust and transparent superamphiphobic coating

A one-dimensional morphology of electrospun nanofibers has been used as a template to fabricate a robust and transparent superamphiphobic coating. The template is created by the deposition of a thick layer of SiO2 nanofibers on glass. The developed template (SiO2 nanofibers) is coated with an ultrathin (25 nm) porous silica membrane by the vapor deposition technique. After heat treatment (600 degrees C), a transparent, super-hydrophilic coating consisting of a hybrid silica network (SiO2 nanofibers enclosed by the silica membrane) is obtained. It is observed that during the heat treatment process, the coated silica membrane reinforces the SiO2 nanofibers and prevents the fibers from disintegrating into nanoparticles, resulting in the formation of a hybrid silica network. The fiber morphology assisted the hybrid silica network to keep its roughness and surface texture. After silanization, the coating exhibited superamphiphobic property with surface contact angles achieved using water and hexadecane are 161 degrees and 146.5 degrees, respectively.