Pages 149–156
Abstract
Research summary supplied by the authors
Superhydrophobic surfaces found in nature, such as the lotus leaf, have inspired the development of materials with exceptional water repellency and selfcleaning properties. Leather, by contrast, is intrinsically hydrophilic and therefore requires surface modification to attain such characteristics. In this study, a sustainable and fluorine - free superhydrophobic coating was developed using SiO‚ nanoparticles functionalized with hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) employed as a coupling agent to enhance nanoparticle–polymer interaction. The prepared material was characterized by FT-IR, TGA, particle size analyser, FE-SEM and the covalent network of HMDS, -APS with SiO2 was confirmed. The modified silica nanoparticles were incorporated into acrylic resin (AR) and polyurethane (PU) binders to form hybrid nanocomposite coatings, which were deposited on leather substrates through a spray-coating application as base and top layers. The optimized formulation achieved a static water contact angle above 150°, confirming excellent water repellency along with a pronounced self-cleaning effect. Fastness tests demonstrated strong adhesion, abrasion resistance, and mechanical durability under practical usage conditions. This environmentally friendly approach eliminates the use of fluorinated compounds and provides a viable route for producing robust, self-cleaning, and waterrepellent leather surfaces suited for footwear, garment, and automotive upholstery applications. γ