Abstract:
Durable and optically transparent superhydrophobic surfaces have a coating of ceramic nanoparticles attached to a transparent substrate that are bound to the substrate through a flexible linker and a fluorocarbon moiety is bound to the surface of the ceramic nanoparticles. The nanoparticles provide the topography required for superhydrophobic surfaces and the fluorocarbon attached to the surface renders the particles hydrophobic. The nanoparticles can be metal oxide nanoparticles of dimensions that do not scatter light and the flexible linker can be constructed by an agent that has a group for bonding to the substrate and a reactive group to form a bond with a complementary second reactive group attached to a second agent that has a group for bonding to the nanoparticles.
Abstract:
A self-cleaning object comprises a substrate with a surface of a first material that has a high dielectric constant overlaid with an ultrathin layer of a second material with a lower dielectric constant than the first material. This self-cleaning object repels liquids or particulate solids that have a lower dielectric constant than the dielectric constant of the ultrathin layer. Another self-cleaning object comprises a substrate with a surface of a first material that has a very low dielectric constant overlaid with an ultrathin layer of a second material with a low dielectric constant that is higher than the first material. This self-cleaning object attracts gases and repels liquids or particulate solids.