Design and Synthesis of a Superhydrophobic PVDF-Based Composite

Abstract

The ability to design, control, and synthesize a material surface with superhydrophobicity is of great interests in many engineering applications. Here, we report a cost-effective process to fabricate poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/zirconium(IV) oxide (ZrO2) composites with superhydrophobicity. This is achieved by combining an antisolvent that induces phase separation, i.e., the precipitation of PVDF from the solution through a spray-on method on various liquids. The material surfaces possess wrinkled micron-sized beads which displayed superhydrophobicity in water without any chemical treatment. The process developed in this research presented a fast and simple approach in making hydrophobic surfaces.