Transmittance and self-cleaning polymethylsiloxane coating with superhydrophobic surfaces

A transmittance and self-cleaning polymethylsiloxane (PMS) coating with superhydrophobic surfaces was fabricated through an easy sol–gel method by using fluorine-free and available materials (methyltriethoxysilane). The PMS superhydrophobic surface was covered with low-surface-energy compounds, bestrewed with many micropores, had a water contact angle of 164 ± 1°, and had a water slide angle of <5°. The average transmittance of glass with PMS coating was 89.35% at 380–800 nm, which was close to the transmittance (90.09%) of bare glass. The coating was endowed higher transmittance (91.13%) after calcining at 500°C, it still retained its superhydrophobicity.