This　study　aimed　to　develop　an　effective　method　to　fabricate　the　amphiphobic　polyvinylidene　fluoride　(PVDF)　composite　membranes　for　membrane　distillation　(MD)　with　excellent　tolerance　to　various　organic　foulants.　A　facial　surface　modification　method　was　explored　to　obtain　amphiphobic　membranes　with　mechanical　and　thermal　robustness　by　dynamically　forming　perfluorooctyl　trichlorosilane　(PETS)　and　coating　SiO2　nanoparticles　onto　the　membrane　surface.　A　variety　of　techniques　such　as　environmental　scanning　electron　microscopy　(ESEM),　Fourier　transform　infrared　spectrometry　(FTIR),　X-ray　photoelectron　spectroscopy　(XPS),　atomic　force　microscopy　(AFM),　liquid　entry　pressure　(LEP)　measurement　and　contact　angle　goniometry　were　applied　to　examine　the　effects　of　surface　modification　on　surface　chemistry,　morphology　and　wettability　of　the　derived　membranes.　The　surface　modification　conferred　the　modified　membrane　superhydrophobicity　and　oleophobicity,　stemmed　from　micro-fluorinated　SiO2　particles　covering　the　membrane　surface.　The　anti-fouling　property　of　the　pristine　and　modified　membranes　were　examined　in　a　direct　contact　membrane　distillation　(DCMD)　process　using　sodium　chloride　solution　containing　three　model　foulants　(hydrophobic,　hydrophilic　or　amphiprotic).　The　dynamically　formed　SiO2-PFTS/PVDF-2　membranes　exhibited　good　thermal　and　mechanical　resistance　for　DCMD　operation.　DCMD　test　showed　that　the　surface　modification　did　not　sacrifice　the　permeate　flux　and　the　salt　rejection.　By　adding　the　organic　foulants,　the　pristine　membrane　displayed　severe　permeate　flux　decay　and　salt　penetration.　In　contrast,　the　modified　membrane　presented　a　stable　permeate　flux　and　high　salt　rejection　with　the　presence　of　three　foulants　respectively.　The　anti-fouling　and　anti-wetting　properties　of　the　modified　membrane　could　be　attributed　to　the　enhanced　amphiphobicity　of　membrane　surface.　(C)　2015　Elsevier　B.V.　All　rights　reserved.