An environmentally friendly coating repels water better than more-expensive fluorocarbon-based materials.
The superhydrophobic material, developed by researchers at Rice Univ. and the Univ. of Swansea, consists of aluminum oxide nanoparticles covered with highly branched hydrocarbon chains. The coating is nontoxic and inexpensive, and can be applied to a variety of surfaces by spray or spin-coating processes.
▲ A scanning electron microscope image of a new superhydrophobic material shows the rough surface of functionalized alumina nanoparticles, which repel water. Image courtesy of the Univ. of Swansea...
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