Facile fabrication of nano-structured silica hybrid film with superhydrophobicity by one-step VAFS approach

▸ Superhydrophobic films on various substrates were fabricated by a novel one-step flame method. ▸ The samples could switch between superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic by varying a key process parameter. ▸ The effect of process parameters on the samples' wettability were studied in detail. ▸ A reasonable flame reaction zone mechanism of this novel one-step method was proposed.