Superhydrophobic cotton fabrics were prepared by fabricating rough surfaces using SiO2 nanoparticles and
ZnO nanorod arrays together with subsequent n-dodecyltrimethoxysilane (DTMS) modification. The asobtained
products were characterized by particle size analyzer, field emission scanning electron microscopy
(FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning probe microscope (SPM) and X-ray
photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) respectively. The prepared SiO2 nanoparticle and ZnO nanorod show a
similar diameter while the ZnO nanorod has a much higher aspect ratio. The wettability of the cotton fabric
samples was investigated by water contact angle (WCA) and roll-off angle measurements. Both treated
cotton fabrics exhibit superhydrophobicity with static WCAs of more than 150° for a 5 mL water droplet. The
lower roll-off angle of a ZnO treated cotton fabric, which is attributed to the discontinuous three-phase
contact line, shows better water-repellent properties.