Highly rough surface coatings via the ambient temperature deposition of thermosetting polymers

Abstract

The deposition of highly rough surface coatings is applicable to a wide range of scientific and manufacturing fields, particularly with respect to the control of surface morphology and substrate binding. The following article reports a technique (thermally-activated aerosol-assisted chemical vapour deposition – ta-AACVD) that is used to deposit a highly rough thermosetting polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer onto unheated substrates. This method facilitates deposition onto temperature-sensitive substrates and demonstrates tremendous potential in applied water repellent technologies.