Facile fabrication of crystallized superhydrophobic hybrid coatings via solid-state hydrolysis/polycondensation of n -octadecyltrimethoxysilane

Superhydrophobic surfaces that roust to harsh environments and fully repel liquids are remarkable for practical applications of self-cleaning coatings. Herein, crystallized superhydrophobic polysilsesquioxane hybrid coatings have been accessed via a single-step solid-state hydrolysis/polycondensation of bulk n-octadecyl- trimethoxysilane (C 18 TMS) under hydrogen chloride/water vapor atmosphere. The resulted coatings showed coral-like surface morphology that composed by bilayered C 18 H 37 SiO x –O x SiC 18 H 37 crystalline. It exhibited high water repellency (θ A = 152° ± 1) and low hysteresis (△θ = 2° ± 1.1), providing remarkable self-cleaning properties. More interestingly, the hybrid coatings retained their superhydrophobic properties even exposure to highly corrosive media of 1 M HCl or NaOH solution for 12 h, respectively. A crystallized polysilsesquioxane superhydrophobic coating was accessed via a solid-state sol–gel process using bulk n -octadecyltrimethoxysilane (C 18 TMS) as precursor. It showed coral-like surface morphology that composed by bilayered C 18 H 37 SiO x –O x SiC 18 H 37 crystalline. Such cross-linked hybrid coating possesses excellent chemical resistance and good water repellency, providing remarkable self-cleaning properties.