Preparation and Characterizaion of Hydrophobic Transparent Hard Sol–Gel Nano-Composite Films

Hydrophobic transparent hard sol–gel nano-composite films were successfully prepared by means of a two-step acid-catalyzed method and the sol-gel process using tetraethoxysliane (TEOS) and aluminium isopropoxide Al(C3H7O)3 as precursors, methyltriethoxysilane (MTES) and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as chemical modifier and surfactant, respectively. The infrared spectra of the films thus obtained indicated that they become hydrophobic with the introduction of the methyl groups. Contact angle values for the nano-composite films prepared are greater than 125°C. The Optical transmittance spectra and the hardness test measurement results showed that the nano-composite films are transparent and hard.