Patent ID: 8067065

Claim:
A method for providing a fibrillar, nanotextured coating on a substrate, said method comprising: contacting said substrate with a reaction mixture comprising a reagent having the formula: R n SiX 4-n wherein n is in the range of 0-3; R is independently H or alkyl; and X is independently halogen or OSO 2 —CF 3 , said reagent being hydrolyzable so as to provide a cross-linked reaction product, said reaction mixture further including a first solvent which solvates said reagent and swells said reaction product; hydrolyzing at least a portion of said reagent in said reaction mixture so as to provide a cross-linked reaction product which is bonded to said substrate; mixing a second solvent into the reaction mixture after hydrolyzing, said second solvent being miscible with said first solvent, and comprising a non-solvent for said reaction product; whereby said second solvent causes said cross-linked reaction product to phase separate from said reaction mixture as a fibrillar, nanotextured coating which is bonded to said substrate.