Transparent, durable and thermally stable PDMS-derived superhydrophobic surfaces Xiaojiang

reported a novel, simple, modification-free process for the preparation of transparent superhydrophobic surfaces by calcining candle-soot-coated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) films. Though a calcination process, a candle soot template was gradually removed while robust fibrous and network structures were created on glass. Owing to these structures, the glass substrates were durable and highly transparent with an average transmittance (400-800 nm) of 89.50%, very closed to the bare glass slides (89.70%). These substrates exhibited a water contact angle (WCA) of 163. and a sliding angle (SA) of similar to 1 degrees. Importantly, the superhydrophobicity of these surfaces can thermally recover after oil-contamination due to their high thermal stability below 500 degrees C. Based on these, superhydrophobic fiberglass cotton was also prepared for optimized oil-water separation and air filtration. This method is suitable for large-scale production because it uses inexpensive and environmentally friendly materials and gets rids of sophisticated equipment, special atmosphere and harsh operations. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.