Abstract:

A TiO₂ mesh with superhydrophobic property is facile fabricated through electrospinning process followed by calcinations with silicon oil. The PVP/titania mesh interweaved by nanofibers, which is of rough surface structures, is firstly prepared by electrospinning. Then the silicon oil is dropped on the titania mesh. After this mesh is calcinated, it turns to TiO₂ and silican composite with micro/nanoscale roughness. This composite mesh exhibits superhydrophobic property with high water contact angle and low sliding angle, which is attributed to the combination of low surface free energy and high surface roughness. This study provides a simple and effective method for generating non-wetting materials and may blazes interesting insights to design novel materials including non-loss liquid transport, self-cleaning surface and many other applications.

Key words: TiO₂; Superhydrophobic; Nanofibers; Electrospinning