Micropatterned Superhydrophobic Silica Based Sol-Gel Surfaces
Project Leaders: Bakul Dave and M. Rao
Unit: Chemistry and Biochemistry
Brief Description:
A surface that is at least hydrophobic that is formed from a mixture that comprises a sol-gel that comprises an alkoxosilane precursor having a general formula of R'.sub.xSi(OR).sub.4-x or (RO).sub.3SiR''Si(OR).sub.3, wherein R and R' are the same or different and comprise hydrogen, a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenyl, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynyl, a substituted or unsubstituted or multiple ring aryl group, or a combination thereof, and R'' is a substituted or unsubstituted alkylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkenylene, a substituted or unsubstituted alkynylene, a substituted or unsubstituted or multiple ring arylene group, or a combination thereof, and x is 1 or 2. Also, the surface has a topography that decreases a contact area between the surface and a water droplet thereon.
Patent Status:
Patent pending. U.S. patent application number 20060292345, published December 28, 2006
Contact:
Jeff Myers, Senior Technology Transfer Specialist, (618) 453-4543, fax: (618) 453-8038