TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Composition: The substrate is treated with functional silane compound chosen from triethoxysilylpropylsuccinic anhydride, trimethoxysilylpropylsuccinic anhydride, aminopropyltriethoxysilane, aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidopropyltriethoxysilane, 3- glycidopropyltrimethoxysilane and/or aminobutyldimethylmethoxysilane. The nanoparticles have amino group, carboxylic acid group, hydroxy and glycidol group. The low-surface-energy material comprises hydrophobic alkyl chain silane, preferably (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl trichlorosiloxane), heptadecafuloro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl(dimethylchlorosiloxane), fluoroalkyl monosilane, perfluoroether di-silane, perfluoroether polysilane, n-octadecyltrichlorosilane, dimethyloctadecylchlorosilane and/or decyltrichlorosilane. Preferred Process: The manufacture of hydrophobic article involves removing modified substrate from solution containing nanoparticles and solvent chosen from ethanol, methanol, acetone, toluene, tetrahydrofuran, ( gamma )-butyrolactone, methyl ethyl ketone, propylene glycol methyl ether acetate and n-butanol. Preferred Properties: The hydrophobic layer is transparent. The average cross sectional dimension of the nanoparticles is 10-110 nm. The ratio of average cross-sectional dimension of nanoparticles (a) and (b) is 0.0001 to less than 1.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The substrate comprises silicon, glass, poly(dimethylsiloxane), polyester, polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate), poly(carbonate), a plastic film and/or fabric. The nanoparticles comprise (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodrodecyl)dimethylchlorosilane, tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydroctyldimethylchlorosilane, 2-(di-n-octylmethylsilyl)ethyldimethylchlorosilanne, nonafluorohexyldimethylchlorosilane (3,3,3-trifluoropropyl)dimethylchlorosilane, and omega -octadecyldimethylchlorosilane, dodecyldimethylchlorosilane, silica, titania, polystyrene, and/or poly(methyl methacrylate).