title: Fabrication of porous hierarchical polymer/ceramic composites by electron irradiation of organic/inorganic polymers: route to a highly durable, large-area superhydrophobic coating.
abstract: Polymer/ceramic composite films with micro- and nanocombined hierarchical structures are fabricated by electron irradiation of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) microspheres/silicone grease. Electron irradiation induces volume contraction of PMMA microspheres and simultaneously transforms silicone grease into a ceramic material of silicon oxycarbide with many nanobumps. As a result, highly porous structures that consist of micrometer-sized pores and microparticles decorated with nanobumps are created. The fabricated films with the porous hierarchical structure exhibit good superhydrophobicity with excellent self-cleaning and antiadhesion properties after surface treatment with fluorosilane. In addition, the porous hierarchical structures are covered with silicon oxycarbide, and thus the superhydrophobic coatings have high hardness and strong adhesion to the substrate. The presented technique provides a straightforward route to producing large-area, mechanically robust superhydrophobic films on various substrate materials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Je
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jae Joon
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung Oh
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D002516:Ceramics / Q000737:chemistry*; D004583:Electrons; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D007287:Inorganic Chemicals / Q000737:chemistry*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D008863:Microspheres; D009038:Motion; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate / Q000737:chemistry*; D016062:Porosity; D012828:Silicones / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D007287:Inorganic Chemicals; D012828:Silicones; D014867:Water; D019904:Polymethyl Methacrylate