A team of researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology’s (POSTECH) Department of Mechanical Engineering has discovered a method to apply a superhydrophobic layer to materials in a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly way. Superhydrophobic surfaces have a wide array of applications in various industries. Existing methods of applying a superhydrophobic layer to materials involve complex procedures and harmful chemicals that are hard to handle. Therefore, the new elegant and cost-effective method from POSTECH’s team of researchers came as no little surprise. The team utilized a “salt-dissolution-assisted etching process”, where a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface embedded with salt particles is left exposed to an aqueous environment, which roughens the remaining PDMS surface with micro/ nano-hierarchical topography, making it superhydrophobic. The team’s results have been published in the academic journal Applied Surface Science.