NOVELTY - Composite having a surface that is at least hydrophobic, comprises a substrate, and a hydrophobic coating on at least a portion of the substrate, where the hydrophobic coating is formed from a mixture comprising a sol-gel that comprises an alkoxysilane precursor (I), and the sol gel coating is micropatterned to create a surface topography that decreases a contact area between the hydrophobic coating and a water droplet on it, or a sol-gel that comprises an alkoxysilane precursor (II), and a topography that decreases a contact area between the hydrophobic coating and a water droplet on it.    USE - The composite is useful for forming a superhydrophobic surface (claimed), and in anti-corrosion water repellant coatings for metals and alloys, self-cleaning coatings for glasses (e.g. windows and screens), general purpose water-repellant coatings with self- cleaning properties for consumer items e.g. house walls and furniture, anti-icing coatings in aircraft industry, permanent or semi-permanent treatments to produce for wrinkle-, water-, and soil-proof fabrics, water-repellent coatings for glass surfaces (e.g. building windows, automobile glass, and solar cell surfaces), building wall and windows that are self-cleaning, water-repellent coatings for cellulose derived products e.g. paper, and water-repellent paints for concrete and wood.    ADVANTAGE - The composite: exhibits increased water repellency or hydrophobicity; provides the coating with self-cleaning property; forms hydrophobic or superhydrophobic coatings which are applied or formed at low temperature using relatively simple synthesis and working procedures, and have high purity of the final material due to the quality of the available precursors; controls structure and composition of the final material at the molecular level; tailors the textural properties i.e. surface area and pore size distribution; exhibits optical transparency above 300 nm; introduces multi-constituents in a single step; exhibits high homogeneity in multicomponent glasses; and forms the gels or glasses in different physical forms e.g. a monolith, a thin film or particulate.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - Composite having a surface that is at least hydrophobic, comprises a substrate, and a hydrophobic coating on at least a portion of the substrate, where the hydrophobic coating is formed from a mixture comprising a sol-gel that comprises an alkoxysilane precursor (I) of formula ((R1a)xSi(OR1b)4-x) or ((R1bO)3SiR1cSi(OR1b)3), and the sol gel coating is micropatterned to create a surface topography that decreases a contact area between the hydrophobic coating and a water droplet on it, or a sol-gel that comprises an alkoxysilane precursor (II) of formula ((R2a)2Si(OR2b)2), ((R2a)3Si(OR1b)3) or ((R2bO)3SiR2cSi(OR2b)3), and a topography that decreases a contact area between the hydrophobic coating and a water droplet on it.    R1a, R1b = alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, multiple ring aryl (all optionally substituted) and/or H;    R1c = alkylene, alkenylene, alkynylene, and/or multiple ring arylene;    x = 1 or 2;    R2b = short chain, optionally branched organic group that comprises not greater than 5C in the chain; and    R2a, R2c = long chain, optionally branched organic groups that comprise 6-20C in the chain.    INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) a superhydrophobic surface formed from the mixture that comprises the sol-gel comprising the alkoxysilane precursor (I), and the topography that decreases the contact area between the superhydrophobic surface and the water droplet on it so that the water droplet has contact angle of at least 160 degrees ; and    (2) forming the composite, comprising depositing the hydrophobic coating on at least a portion of the substrate.