Nanostructured Superhydrophobic Surfaces for 

Nanoeducation and Science, Technology, Engineering, and 

Mathematics (STEM) Outreach

by Abby L West, Travis M Tumlin, Alexis M Fakner, and Mark H Griep

ARL-TN-0660 February 2015

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ARL-TN-0660 February 2015

Nanostructured Superhydrophobic Surfaces for 

Nanoeducation and Science, Technology, Engineering, and 

Mathematics (STEM) Outreach

Abby L West, Travis M Tumlin, and Alexis M Fakner

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

Mark H Griep

Weapons and Materials Research Directorate, ARL

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Nanostructured Superhydrophobic Surfaces for Nanoeducation and Science, 

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Abby L West, Travis M Tumlin, Alexis M Fakner, and Mark H Griep

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14. ABSTRACT

In an effort to attract young minds to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), a lab setup

utilizing Ultra Ever Dry superhydrophobic coatings has been demonstrated. This lab, when combined with overview and 

discussion, introduces middle-to-high-school-level students to the science of nanotechnology. Through various demonstrations 

of the water-repelling ability of the coatings, students can better understand the fundamental science of how nanostructure 

coatings work and the application of coatings to a variety of materials. This gives students the opportunity to hypothesize how 

these coatings could be used in their everyday lives along with stimulating their interest in STEM-related fields. This report 

details background information on nanotechnology, the fundamentals of how the nanostructure coatings work, the process of 

coating a variety of materials, and the results of a recent demonstration.

15. SUBJECT TERMS

nanostructures, superhydrophobicity, STEM, nanoeducation, corrosion

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iii

Contents

List of Figures iv

Acknowledgments v

1. Introduction and Background 1

2. Materials and Methods 2

2.1 Preparation of Superhydrophobic Materials....................................................................2

2.1.1 Bottom Coat Application........................................................................................5

2.1.2 Top Coat Application .............................................................................................6

2.2 Prelab Setup.....................................................................................................................6

2.3 Lab...................................................................................................................................6

2.4 Demonstration .................................................................................................................6

2.5 Postlab .............................................................................................................................7

3. Results and Discussion 7

3.1 Prelab Setup.....................................................................................................................7

3.2 Lab...................................................................................................................................7

3.3 Demonstration .................................................................................................................7

3.4 Postlab .............................................................................................................................7

4. Summary and Conclusions 8

5. References 9

Appendix A. Prelab Questions 11

Appendix B. Nanomaterials and Superhydrophobic Coatings 13

Appendix C. Data Collection 17

Appendix D. Postlab Questions 19

Distribution List 21
iv

List of Figures

Fig. 1 Contact angles for hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and superhydrophobic materials.................1

Fig. 2 Schematic of bilayer system................................................................................................2

Fig. 3 Industrial size solutions of UED top and bottom coat.........................................................3

Fig. 4 Appearance of uncoated (top) and coated (bottom) plastic tray..........................................4

Fig. 5 Prepared solutions of UED A) bottom coat and B) top coat showing a milky, cloudy, 

and white translucent appearance ..............................................................................................5

Fig. 6 Application of bottom coat on polycarbonate tray ..............................................................5

Fig. B-1 Classification scheme for nanomaterials.......................................................................14

Fig. B-2 Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of UED bottom coat (left) and top 

coat (right)................................................................................................................................15
v

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Sandra Young and Matthew Kiefert for their help in organizing 

all of the outreach sessions, including Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science

(GEMS), Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and Biotechnology 

Title 1. The authors would also like to thank Christopher Knoblauch for his help with the 

demonstrations.
vi

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1

1. Introduction and Background

Hydrophobic coatings are very attractive for use in several applications including antiwetting, 

anticorrosion, antifouling, and antimicrobial technologies.1–7 A material exhibits hydrophobic 

properties when water droplets on the surface have a contact angle of 90° or greater; it is

considered superhydrophobic when that contact angle is increased to 120° or greater (Fig. 1).8

Fig. 1 Contact angles for hydrophilic, hydrophobic, and 

superhydrophobic materials

Producing hydrophobic or superhydrophobic materials at the nanoscale can be approached in 2 

ways. The first is through chemical modification where certain nonpolar molecules such as fatty

acids or oils coat a surface and repel polar molecules such as water.1,9,10 This is why water cannot

be mixed with oil. The second approach is commonly used in nature and involves covering the 

surface with nanostructures.8,11,12 For example, the surface of the lotus leaf is coated with coneshaped nanostructures that reduce the surface area that the water comes into contact with. This 

reduced area makes it harder for the water molecules to bind, thus making the surface 

hydrophobic.13,14 Adding nanostructures to create a hydrophobic surface is also very common in 

industry. For example, Ultra Tech International produces a 2-part superhydrophobic coating 

called Ultra Ever Dry (UED). UED coatings use a nanostructure that mimics the surface of the 

lotus leaf by using patterns of geometric shapes that create “peaks” or “high points” to reduce 

surface area. This reduced surface area causes the water droplets to bead up to high contact 

angles 

Nanotechnology is a very important module in most Science, Technology, Engineering, and 

Mathematics (STEM) and Gains in the Education of Mathematics and Science (GEMS) outreach 

programs. However, it is difficult to find a straightforward and enjoyable experiment or 

demonstration that both fits within time constraints and is informative to students of various 

education levels. Superhydrophobic coatings, specifically UED, can be used to teach students 

about nanotechnology. 
2

This report describes the procedures on how UED coatings can be used to teach middle and high 

school students about nanotechnology. The students will see firsthand how nanostructuring a 

material’s surface can affect the hydrophobic properties of the material by observing how even 

paper can become superhydrophobic when coated with UED. In addition, students will also be 

able to test both substrate effects and the effect of several test liquids with various water contents 

and viscosities on UED coatings. The results of a recent demonstration are summarized.

Supplementary information for a sample lab is included as Appendixes A–D (prelab questions, 

nanomaterials and superhydrophobic background, data collection, and postlab questions, 

respectively).

2. Materials and Methods

2.1 Preparation of Superhydrophobic Materials

The coating should be sprayed onto the materials before the outreach program begins. UED 

coatings are comprised of 2 separate solutions. The first solution is a bottom coating that 

contains nanotubules. When the top coat is applied, these nanostructures create a void between 

the top and bottom layers. These voids contain air that acts as a barrier for the diffusion of water 

molecules through the surface. While water molecules are blocked from passing through the 

surface, smaller molecules such as air are allowed through thus making the coating breathable.

This 2-step coating schematic is shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 Schematic of bilayer system. 

Top Coat

Bottom Coat

Surface

Water

Air Cushion
3

UED can be purchased commercially in a variety of different volumes (Fig. 3). The basic 

materials required to make the coating are as follows:

• UED top coat

• UED bottom coat

• Safety goggles

• Lab coat

• Nitrile gloves

• Respirator or well-ventilated area

• Spray nozzles for both top and bottom coat 

• Hair dryer or heat gun (optional)

• Materials of different innate hydrophobicities to be coated (wood, plastic, paper, cloth, 

metal, etc.)

• Sand paper (optional)

• Table salt

• Copper sulfate

• Water

Fig. 3 Industrial size solutions of UED top and bottom coat
4

Before coating the materials, there are a few precautions to follow:

• To ensure that the coating will adhere well, surface preparation should be performed prior 

to coating the material. Surfaces should be free of oil, grease, dust, dirt, and any other 

contaminants. For increased adhesion, sandpaper can be used to lightly abrade the 

surface. 

• UED is highly flammable so extra precaution should be taken when using the solutions. 

Once dry, however, the coatings are not flammable.

• Because UED solutions are made with strong solvents, the application of UED should be 

done outside, in a well-ventilated area, or with a respirator.

• Coated materials will have a white, translucent appearance (Fig. 4) and should not be 

used on windows or windshields.

Fig. 4 Appearance of uncoated (top) and coated (bottom) plastic tray
5

2.1.1 Bottom Coat Application 

Vigorously shake the can of the bottom coating for approximately 5 min. The solution should 

have a milky colored appearance (Fig. 5A). If the solution is clear, continue shaking until 

solution reaches a milky color. Pour the solution from the can into a dedicated sprayer. A unique 

sprayer is required for both the top and bottom coat. Once the sprayer is filled, shake vigorously,

and apply multiple thin coats over the desired region as shown in Fig. 6. The wet thickness of the 

film should be between 3.0 and 5.0 mil (76 and 127 μm). The coating should be uniform; avoid 

overwetting the surface or pooling. Allow 15–20 min for the coating to dry. The dry thickness of 

the coating should be between 1.0 and 1.5 mil (25 and 38 μm). A heat gun or hair dryer on a low 

power setting can be used to shorten the drying time. Once the solvent has evaporated and the 

bottom coating is dry, the top coat can then be applied.

Fig. 5 Prepared solutions of UED A) bottom coat and B) top coat showing a milky, 

cloudy, and white translucent appearance

Fig. 6 Application of bottom coat on polycarbonate tray
6

2.1.2 Top Coat Application

Apply the top coat of UED following the same general procedure as the bottom coat. Use a 

dedicated sprayer that is only used for the top coat. Add the desired amount of top coat solution 

into the sprayer and shake vigorously. The solution should have the appearance shown in 

Fig. 5B. Apply thin, uniform films to the material. Avoid pooling and overcoating by using the

same amount of top coat as the bottom coat. Shaking the sprayer a few times in between spraying 

can be beneficial by preventing settling of the solution. A heat gun or hair dryer can be used to 

dry the top coat. Allow the coating to cure fully for 2 h for best results.

2.2 Prelab Setup

Cover all surfaces with plastic sheeting. Set up several stations around the room with different

test liquids at each station. Test liquids of varying viscosities and water content should be used, 

such as water, honey, concrete, paint, or oil. Divide students into groups of 3–4 with each group 

responsible for one set, usually placed in a bin for easy transport, of test substrates that have been 

coated with UED. Students will then answer several prelab questions and form a hypothesis 

before they begin adding various test liquids to the substrates.

2.3 Lab

Each group of students applies the test liquids to the coated test substrates. During testing, 

students wear gloves, lab coats, and safety glasses. Remind the students that more than one liquid 

will be tested on each substrate. If a test liquid soaks the entire substrate, it will be difficult to 

test further liquids. It is best to test a small section of the substrate with a small amount of test 

liquid and to test different sections of the substrate with each new test liquid. The students should 

use a number scale, for example, a scale of 1 through 5, to rank the effectiveness of the coating 

on each substrate against various test liquids. A rank of 1 indicates that all of the liquid stuck and 

5 indicates that none of the liquid stuck to the substrate. Once the students complete one station, 

the groups may rotate to the next and test the liquids at that station. When completed, the 

students total the rankings for each substrate and test liquid.

2.4 Demonstration

The instructor demonstrates the coating’s ability to resist corrosion. Dissolve a small amount of 

copper sulfate in water by mixing. Divide the solution between 2 glass containers. Place a small 

square of uncoated aluminum foil inside one glass container as a control. Add a similar sized 

square of UED-coated aluminum foil to the other glass container. The foil should be submerged 

in the solution. Add a generous amount of table salt (around 1 tablespoon) to each container. 

Cover the containers and mix well by inverting. Students should observe the effects of the saltwater mixture on the 2 pieces of aluminum foil. 
7

2.5 Postlab

Students answer several postlab questions about the effectiveness of the coating on each 

substrate and the type of liquid that was best/least repelled. Students should be able to indicate 

some limitations of the coating and ways in which it could be improved.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1 Prelab Setup 

In the beginning of the lab, most students seemed to already have an understanding of what 

being hydrophobic means. However, students seemed to be unclear on the size scale of 

nanotechnology and the various applications. Students formed a hypothesis about the effect of 

the substrate surface on the effectiveness of the coating. The hypotheses of the students were 

well split between the substrate having an effect on the coating and not having an effect.

3.2 Lab

Students were able to apply the test liquids to the substrates and rank the hydrophobicity. Most 

students found that water and water-based substances were the most repelled, and liquids such as 

oil and paint were the least repelled. The students found that metal, paper, and wood were the 

best substrates to repel water, while cotton balls and leather gloves were not as repellent. Some 

groups of students assigned the ranking of “entirely repelled” very liberally so that many test 

liquids appeared to be equally repelled and many substrates had equal abilities to repel.

3.3 Demonstration

The copper sulfate and salt quickly started to corrode the uncoated aluminum foil. Flakes of the 

aluminum foil appeared in the solution and in some instances, the solution became dark in color. 

The coated aluminum foil showed minimal corrosion or changes in solution color. Students were 

able to draw similarities between the corrosion seen in this demonstration to the corrosion of the 

Titanic after hundreds of years. Even after many days in the solution, the coated aluminum foil 

showed only minimal deterioration. 

3.4 Postlab

Upon completion of the lab, the students were able to answer the postlab questions and seemed 

to have a better understanding of the scale of nanotechnology. The students had a number of 

ideas for ways to improve the coating and future applications for the coating. Some suggestions 

for future applications include roadways for anti-icing, cell phones for antiwetting, car paint for 

anticorrosion, and clothing for antifouling. 
8

4. Summary and Conclusions

The use of UED as a superhydrophobic coating in STEM and GEMS outreach programs was 

successful in teaching middle and high school students about nanotechnology. The students were 

engaged and found the experiments to be fun and informative. Through the completion of the 

experiments and demonstration, students were able to test their hypothesis and critically evaluate 

the commercially available product. In addition, students had hands-on experience with 

nanomaterials through this interactive experiment. The students gained a better understanding of 

the size scale of nanotechnology and potential applications.
9

5. References

1. Caschera D, Cortese B, Mezzi A, Brucale M, Ingo GM, Gigli G, Padeletti G. Ultra 

hydrophobic/superhydrophilic modified cotton textiles through functionalized diamond-like 

carbon coatings for self-cleaning applications. Langmuir. 2013 Feb 26;29:2775–2783.

2. Feng L, Zhang ZY, Mai ZH, Ma YM, Liu BQ, Jiang L, Zhu DB. A super-hydrophobic and 

super-oleophilic coating mesh film for the separation of oil and water. Angewandte ChemieInternational Edition. 2004;43:2012–2014.

3. Fexby S, Ihre H, Buelow L, Van Alstine JA. Novel in situ polymerized coatings for 

hydrophobic interaction chromatography media. J Chromatogr A. 2007 Aug 17;1161:234–

241.

4. Fir M, Orel B, Vuk AS, Vilcnik A, Jese R, Francetic, V. Corrosion studies and interfacial 

bonding of urea/poly(dimethylsiloxane) sol/gel hydrophobic coatings on AA 2024 aluminum 

alloy. Langmuir. 2007 May 8;23:5505–5514.

5. Larson AM, Hsu BB, Rautaray D, Haldar J, Chen JZ, Klibanov AM. Hydrophobic 

polycationic coatings disinfect poliovirus and rotavirus solutions. Biotechnol Bioeng. 2011

Mar;108:720-723.

6. Walker RA, Wilson K, Lee AF, Woodford J, Grassian VH, Baltrusaitis J, Rubasinghege G,

Cibin G, Dent A. Preservation of York Minster historic limestone by hydrophobic surface 

coatings. Sci Rep. 2012;2:880.

7. Vilcnik A, Jerman I, Vuk AS, Kozelj M, Orel B, Tomsic B, Simonic B, Kovac, J. Structural 

properties and antibacterial effects of hydrophobic and oleophobic sol-gel coatings for cotton 

fabrics. Langmuir. 2009 May 19;25:5869–5880.

8. Liu YY, Chen XQ, Xin JH. Super-hydrophobic surfaces from a simple coating method: a 

bionic nanoengineering approach. Nanotechnology. 2006 Jul 14;17:3259–3263.

9. Ji YY, Hong YC, Lee SH, Kim SD, Kim SS. Formation of super-hydrophobic and waterrepellency surface with hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) coating on 

polyethyleneteraphtalate fiber by atmospheric pressure plasma polymerization. Surface and

Coatings Technology. 2008 Aug 30; 202:5663–5667.

10. Nakajima A, Nakagawa Y, Furuta T, Sakai M, Isobe T, Matsushita S. Sliding of water 

droplets on smooth hydrophobic silane coatings with regular triangle hydrophilic regions.

Langmuir. 2013 Jul 23;29:9269–9275.
10

11. Gao L, He J. Surface hydrophobic co-modification of hollow silica nanoparticles toward 

large-area transparent superhydrophobic coatings. J Colloid Interface Sci. 2013 Apr 

15;396:152-159.

12. Ogihara H, Xie J, Okagaki J, Saji T. Simple method for preparing superhydrophobic paper: 

spray-deposited hydrophobic silica nanoparticle coatings exhibit high water-repellency and 

transparency. Langmuir. 2012 Mar 13;28:4605–4608.

13. Koch K, Ensikat HJ. The hydrophobic coatings of plant surfaces: epicuticular wax crystals 

and their morphologies, crystallinity and molecular self-assembly. Micron. 2008

Oct;39:759–772.

14. Zorba V, Stratakis E, Barberoglou M, Spanakis E, Tzanetakis P, Anastasiadis SH, Fotakis C. 

Biomimetic artificial surfaces quantitatively reproduce the water repellency of a lotus leaf. 

Advanced Materials. 2008 Nov 3;20:4049–4054.
11

Appendix A. Prelab Questions

 

This appendix appears in its original form, without editorial change.
12

Supplementary Information – Sample Lab

Name _______________________ 

Pre-Lab Questions

1. At what size scale is nanotechnology used?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

2. List some examples/ideas where nanotechnology is used.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

3. What does super hydrophobic mean?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

4. List some uses for super hydrophobic coatings.

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
13

Appendix B. Nanomaterials and Superhydrophobic Coatings
14

B.1 Nanomaterials

B.1.1 What Are Nanomaterials? 

Nanomaterials are materials that range in scale from 1 to 1,000 nm. Due to their small size, these 

materials possess unique properties that are not seen in the “bulk” or “volume” effects. In bulk 

materials the composition, i.e., types of atoms, bonding between them, and ratios involved,

influence the properties of a material. However, in the nanoscale, the properties change, and 

while the type of atoms present and their relative orientations are still important, “surface area 

effects”, or quantum effects, become much more important and dictate the material properties. 

These effects are due to the size, i.e., diameter, thickness, and geometry, of the material, which, 

at these low dimensions, can have a drastic effect on quantized states and thus the properties of a 

material.

B.1.2 Types of Nanomaterials

Many nanomaterials can be found in both natural and synthetic forms as shown in Fig B-1. 

Nanomaterials can be either organic (carbon containing) or inorganic (noncarbon containing). 

Organic nanomaterials include lotus leaves, bird feathers, graphene, and carbon nanotubes, while 

inorganic materials include opals, dyes, and quantum dots.

Fig. B-1 Classification scheme for nanomaterials

Nanomaterials

Natural

Organic

(carbon 

containing)

Inorganic

(non-carbon 

containing)

Synthetic

Organic

(carbon 

containing)

Inorganic

(non-carbon 

containing)

•Feathers

•Lotus leaves

•Gecko foot

•Virus capsid

•Clay

•Opal

•Dyes

•Carbon 

nanotubes

•Graphene

•Fullerenes

•Silicon 

nanoparticles

•Quantum dots

•Metal nanowires
15

B.2 Superhydrophobic Coatings

Making materials that are hydrophobic or superhydrophobic at the nanoscale can be approached 

in 2 ways. The first is through chemical modification where certain nonpolar molecules such as 

fatty acids or oils coat a surface and repel polar molecules such as water. This is why water 

cannot be mixed with oil. The second approach is commonly used in nature and involves 

covering the surface with nanostructures. For example, the surface of the lotus leaf is coated with 

cone-shaped nanostructures that reduce the surface area that the water comes into contact with. 

This reduced area makes it harder for the water molecules to bind, thus making the surface 

hydrophobic. 

B.3 Experiment: Effect of Substrate on Superhydrophobic Coatings

Ultra Ever Dry (UED) is a 2-part coating that can be applied to virtually any substrate (base 

material) to make it superhydrophobic (Fig. B-2). UED coatings utilize a nanostructure that 

mimics the surface of the lotus leaf by using patterns of geometric shapes that create “peaks” or 

“high points” to reduce surface area. This reduced surface area causes the water droplets to bead 

up to high contact angles. You will test the effectiveness of this coating on several different 

substrates.

Fig. B-2 Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of UED bottom coat (left) and top coat (right)

B.3.1 Hypothesis

Will the substrate have an effect on the durability and effectiveness of UED coating? If so, why? 

Predict the qualities that an ideal substrate would possess.
16

B.3.2 Applying UED

Completed by US Army Research Laboratory staff beforehand.

1. Sand substrate with fine grit sandpaper for increased surface adhesion.

2. Clean and dry substrate.

3. Mix bottom coat for 5 min.

4. Apply uniform coating with sprayer and allow to dry for 30 min.

5. Mix top coat for 5 min.

6. Apply uniform coating with sprayer and allow to dry for 2 h.

B.3.3 Testing Substrate Effect on UED Coating

To test the effect of substrate on the effectiveness of the UED, you will take the coated substrates 

to various testing stations and record the ability of the coated substrates to repel the test liquids.
17

Appendix C. Data Collection

 

This appendix appears in its original form, without editorial change.
18

Data Collection

Wood Metal Polycarbonate Brick Cloth Cotton Ball Glove Paper Total:

Honey

Water

Mud

Paint

Syrup

Oil

Concrete

Total: 

Fill in the table above by determining how well each material repels each fluid. Rank the 

materials from 1 to 5 using the legend. After testing each combination of material and fluid, add 

up the totals and compare.

1) All of the fluid stuck

2) Most of the fluid stuck

3) Some of the fluid stuck

4) Almost no fluid stuck

5) Fluid did not stick
19

Appendix D. Postlab Questions 

 

This appendix appears in its original form, without editorial change.
20

Post Lab

Question 1: Which material (wood, fabric etc.) served as the best substrate? 

Why?

Question 2: Which test liquids were the most repelled? 

The least? 

Is there a similarity among the liquids that were repelled?

Question 3: If the coatings did not exhibit omniphobic properties, state your hypothesis 

on why.

Question 4: How could the coatings be improved?
21

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