Molecular Design of Durable Hydrophobic Film

The demand for long durable hydrophobic surface is rising as more and more devices are coming to market. Nanotechnology promises more micro- and nanoscale devices for biomedical, aerospace, transportation purposes. Hydrophobicity can be imparted by a thin layer of low surface energy molecules or a densely-packed hydrocarbon film. Because of heterogeneous surface energy and surface defects, very few films can stay defect-free for an appreciate period of time. Eventually, moisture penetrates into the film through pin holes or defects created by surface reconfiguration. This paper describes a novel hydrophobic film design combining geometric stacking concept with self-healing mobile molecules and an polymeric canopy of cross-linking top layer to prevent evaporation of organic molecules, all within two nanometer thick suitable for most micro- and nanodevices applications.