The inorganic-organic trilayer core-shell polysilsesquioxane/polyacrylate/polydimethylsiloxane hybrid latex particles have been successfully prepared via seeded emulsion polymerization of acrylate monomers and octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D-4) gradually, using functional polymethacryloxypropylsilsesquioxane (PSQ) latex particles with reactive methacryloxypropyl groups synthesized by the hydrolysis and polycondensation of (3-methacryloxypropyl)trimethoxysilane in the presence of mixed emulsifiers as seeds. The FTIR spectra show that acrylate monomers and D-4 are effectively involved in the emulsion copolymerization and formed the polydimethylsiloxane-containing hybrid latex particles. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and dynamic light scattering (DLS) confirm that the resultant hybrid latex particles have evident trilayer core-shell structure and a narrow size distribution. XPS analysis also indicates that polysilsesquioxane/polyacrylate/polydimethylsiloxane hybrid latex particles have been successfully prepared and PDMS is rich in the surface of the hybrid latex film. Additionally, compared with the hybrid latex film without PDMS, the hybrid latex film containing PDMS shows higher hydrophobicity (water contact angle) and lower water absorption. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier B.V.