Preparation and characterization of POSS-containing poly(perfluoropolyether)methacrylate hybrid copolymer and its superhydrophobic coating performance.

To design a mechanically stable and superhydrophobic coating, a polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)-containing poly(perfluoropolyether)methacrylate (PFPEM) hybrid copolymer (PFPEM-POSS) was synthesized a free-radical solution polymerization with PFPEM, 1,1,2,2-perfluorooctyl acrylate, methyl (meth)acrylate, -butyl acrylate, hydroxypropyl acrylate, methacryloxy propyl trimethoxy silane, and methacrylisobutyl POSS; and azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. Hydrophobic coatings were formed on substrates by a facile one-step dip-coating method in a solution mixture of diethylene glycol dimethyl ether with the PFPEM-POSS hybrid copolymer. The chemical structure of the PFPEM-POSS copolymer and the surface morphology and performance of the PFPEM-POSS coatings were investigated. The results indicate that, under POSS aggregation the fluorophilic/oleophilic co-monomer phase separation and owing to the low-surface-energy poly(perfluoropolyether)methacrylate incorporated into the copolymer, PFPEM-POSS exhibited a hierarchical micro-nano roughness in atomic force microscopy observations and provided the treated substrates with excellent hydrophobicity and abrasion resistance. As a result, the water contact angle reached 152.3° on the treated glass.