Carbon nanotube-based robust steamphobic surfaces

A method for creating a superhydrophobic coated nanoporous assembly having steamphobic properties, the method comprising:

• providing a non-water soluble and heat resistant nanoporous assembly formed of discrete or continuous or both discrete and continuous structures that provide a morphology defining pores of less than 500 nm between neighboring discrete and continuous structures;
• bringing gaseous plasma precursors in the presence of the nanoporous assembly and in the presence of a plasma generator;
• employing the plasma generator to convert the gaseous plasma precursors to the plasma state;
• and
• permitting the plasma precursors to deposit as a coating on the nanoporous assembly through plasma polymerization techniques the deposition thereof preserving the porous structure of the nanoporous assembly, the deposited coating exhibiting a surface energy of less than 30 dynes/cm due to the selection of plasma precursors.