A Conformal Vapor-Phase Deposition of Poly(2-(perfluorohexyl)ethyl methacrylate) and the Hydrophobic Properties Thereof

Polymers with long fluoroalkyl chain show superhydrophobicity due to their low surface energy, and had been applied to various water-proof/anti-fouling coatings. Here, we demonstrate a new hydrophobic polymer, poly(2-(perfluorohexyl)ethyl methacrylate) (PPFHEMA) via initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD). The water contact angle of poly(2-(perfluorohexyl)ethyl methacrylate)) (PPFHEMA) film coated on silicon wafer was as high as 114.19°, which is comparable to that of poly(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl acrylate) (PPFDA) containing longer CF₂ side chain length than PPFHEMA. The measured contact angle value was highly dependent upon the surface morphology of the PPFHEMA, which could be systematically controlled by changing the thickness of PPFHEMA. The PPFHEMA film was conformally coated onto polyester fabric and showed the water contact angle of up to 130°. These results indicate that iCVD PPFHEMA hydrophobic coatings can be applied to various non-flat, textured substrates for commercial purposes overcoming environmental regulations applied to chemicals with long fluoroalkyl chains.