Polyurethane-acrylate-based hydrophobic film: Facile fabrication, characterization, and application

Polyurethane-acrylate (PUA) is a versatile UV-curable polymer with a short curing time at room temperature, whose surface structure can be flexibly modified by applying various micropatterns. In this paper, we propose a facile and cost-effective fabrication method for the continuous production of an optically transparent PUA-based superhydrophobic thin film. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was employed as a soft mold for the fabrication of PUA films through the roll-to-roll technique. In addition, nanosilica was spray-coated onto the PUA surface to further improve the hydrophobicity. The fabricated PUA thin film showed the highest static water contact angle (WCA) of ∼140°. The high durability of the PUA film was also demonstrated through mechanical impacting tests. Furthermore, only ∼2% of voltage loss was observed in the solar panel covered with the PUA-based superhydrophobic film. These obtained results indicate the feasibility of applying the film as a protective layer in applications requiring a high transparency and a self-cleaning effect.