Transparent Super-Repellent Surfaces with Low Haze and High Jet Impact Resistance

Transparent superhydrophobic surfaces are of vital significance for rising applications in optoelectronics, outdoor displays, building windows, and so on. However, facile fabrication of surfaces combining stable superhydrophobicity and high transparency with particularly low haze remains a challenge. Here, we demonstrate a nonfluorinated hierarchical surface, simply prepared by sequential spraying of a primer of poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) (EAA) and silica nanoparticles (SiO2). The resultant surface shows remarkable liquid repellency (e.g., an apparent contact angle of >160 degrees and a sliding angle of <2 degrees for honey) and high transparency (a transmittance of similar to 91% and a haze of similar to 6%). Especially, flexible EAA adhesive enables the surface to resist water impinging (up to similar to 15.0 m s(-1), higher than the terminal velocities of raindrops) and mechanical damaging. This super-repellent surface also presents excellent UV and chemical stability, sustaining a superhydrophobic state upon UVA exposure for 60 days and acidic corrosion or oil contamination for 7 days. With multirobustness and scalability, our coatings show great potential in related fields.

Automated summary

The newly developed nonfluorinated hierarchical surface demonstrates stable superhydrophobicity and high transparency, with remarkable liquid repellency, high transmittance, and low haze. This super-repellent surface shows excellent UV and chemical stability, can resist water impinging and mechanical damaging, and maintains superhydrophobicity even under acidic corrosion or oil contamination.