Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Yu Mao

Karen K Gleason

Minglin Ma

Gregory C Rutledge

Malancha Gupta

Disclosed is a versatile method to produce superhydrophobic surfaces by combining electrospinning and initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). A wide variety of surfaces, including electrospun polyester fibers, may be coated by the inventive method. In one embodiment, poly(caprolactone) (PCL) was electrospun and then coated by iCVD with a thin layer of hydrophobic polymerized perfluoroalkyl ethyl methacrylate (PPFEMA). In certain embodiments said coated surfaces exhibit water contact angles of above 150 degrees, oleophobicities of at least Grade-8 and sliding angles of less than 12 degrees (for a water droplet of about 20 mg).

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Cambridge, MA, United States of America

Yu Mao