Utilizing Inorganic Nanoadditives to Influence the Surface Properties of Polymer Films*

Addition of nanosized inorganic materials to a polymer matrix results in nanohybrids with optimized properties. In this work, we report on the development of superhydrophobic and water repellent polymer coatings by utilizing nanoadditives of different geometries and size. The nanocomposite coatings were deposited either on a soft polyethylene, PE, substrate or on a hard silicon wafer. The coating morphology and effective roughness were studied with Scanning Electron Microscopy and profilometry, respectively, as a function of the nanoadditive content. In the case of PE substrates, the optical clarity of the original film was preserved following the nanohybrid coating, as verified by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The surface properties of all films were investigated by contact angle measurements; the water contact angle showed a non-monotonic dependence on the coating composition and depended strongly on the kind of nanoadditive whereas the contact angle hysteresis was significantly affected by its presence.