Grafting silicone at room temperature – a transparent, scratch-resistant non-stick molecular coating

Silicones are usually considered to be inert, and thus not reactive with surfaces. Here we show that the most common silicone, methyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, spontaneously and stably bounds on glass - and any other material with silicon oxide surface chemistry - even at room temperature. As a result, a 2-5 nm thick and transparent coating, which shows extraordinary non-stick properties towards polar and non-polar liquids, ice, and even super glue, is formed. 10 microL drops of various liquids slide off a coated glass when the sample is inclined by less than 10 degrees . Ice adhesion strength on a coated glass is only 2.7+/-0.6 kPa, i.e. more than 98% less than ice adhesion on an uncoated glass. The mechanically stable coating can be easily applied by painting, spraying, or roll-coating. Notably, the reaction does not require any excess energy, solvents, nor does it induce hazardous by-products, which makes it an ideal option for environmentally sustainable surface modification in a myriad of technological applications.