Fabrication of superhydrophobic sol–gel composite films using hydrophobically modified colloidal zinc hydroxide

A superhydrophobic sol–gel composite film was fabricated by incorporating hydrophobically modified colloidal zinc hydroxide (CZH) in sol–gel matrix. CZH was prepared by controlled precipitation and modified by treatment with stearic acid. The concentration of stearic acid and stirring time were optimized to obtain modified CZH with very high water contact angle (WCA) of 165° and sliding angle (SA) < 2°. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis has shown that the crystal structure of CZH was mainly composed of ε-zinc hydroxide and the modified CZH indicated the presence of zinc stearate. The modified CZH film exhibited a microstructure which resembled clusters of interconnected rods creating roughness on the film surface. The modified CZH suspension was dispersed in an acid-catalyzed sol of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and methyltriethoxysilane (MTEOS) and spray-coated on glass slides to prepare sol–gel composite coatings. The concentration of CZH in the composite film was optimized to obtain superhydrophobic surfaces. FTIR spectrum also confirmed the presence of zinc stearate in the composite film. The method is simple and cost-effective and does not involve any expensive chemicals or equipments.