Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) was utilized to deposit polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thin films on cellulosic cotton substrates at room temperature. The PTFE-coated fibers showed superhydrophobic properties as evidenced by a water contact angle of 151 degrees compared to a 0 degrees contact angle for pristine cellulosic cotton substrates. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs of the deposited films revealed that PTFE grains were uniformly grown on the cotton surface with an average grain size of about 50-70 nm. The elemental and chemical compositions of the deposited films were verified by energy dispersive X-ray analysis and Fourier Transform Infra-Red spectrometry. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.