Superhydrophobic and porous methylsilicone monoliths prepared by one-step ammonia-catalyzed gelation and ambient pressure drying

Superhydrophobic and porous methylsilicone monoliths have been synthesized by one-step ammonia-catalyzed gelation followed by ambient pressure drying. The porous monoliths were characterized by bulk density, thermal stability, and hydrophobic property. The hydrophobic property was confirmed by contact angle measurements and FTIR study. SEM analyses indicated that the microstructure of as-prepared monoliths could be manipulated by varying catalyst concentration. The porous monolith showed the lowest bulk density of 0.244 g cm−3 and the highest contact angle of 160 ± 2°.