Superhydrophobic Coating of a Glass Surface using Stearic Acid and Modified Silica Nanoparticles

Glass slides with superhydrophobic and self-cleaning properties were fabricated using a simple and low-cost method and inexpensive materials through spray coating of three types of layers consisting of stearic acid, the mixture of stearic acid and unmodified SiO2 nanoparticles, and the mixture of stearic acid and SiO2 nanoparticles modified with oleic acid onto the surface. The mixture of stearic acid and SiO2 nanoparticles modified with oleic acid coating possessed the highest contact angle of about 157° and a low contact angle hysteresis with a high durability. However, the stearic acid coating alone had hydrophobic properties and the mixture of stearic acid and unmodified SiO2 nanoparticles showed superhydrophobic properties but without any self-cleaning and durability features