Single-step formation of superhydrophobic surfaces using photobase-catalyzed sol-gel process

[Display omitted] Single-Step Formation of Superhydrophobic Surfaces using a photobase catalytic system for sol–gel polymerization of a fluoroalkoxysilane. [Display omitted] •A simple one-step photochemical approach has been implemented to achieve superhydrophobic surfaces.•The methodology relies on a photosol-gel polymerization driven by a photobase generator.•Superhydrophobic silicate films containing nano/microparticles have been generated Superhydrophobic silicate films result from crosslinking between a hydrophobic fluoroalkyltriethoxysilane and tetraethoxysilane. Superhydrophobic surfaces with a water contact angle greater than 150° were prepared by one-step photoinduced crosslinking of a tetraethyl-orthosilicate and a fluorinated organosilane mixture using an efficient photobase catalytic system. Infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy techniques enabled to investigate the alkoxysilane condensation and the observation of nano/microparticles.