A facile solution immersion process for the fabrication of superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces with tunable water adhesion

Abstract

Superhydrophobic ZnO surfaces with different morphologies were fabricated through a solution immersion process combining both chemcal liquid deposition and self-assembly of stearic acid. We regulate the solution immersion process by changing the volume content of formamide in the formamide/water mixture to control different morphologies of ZnO surfaces. After being modified with stearic acid, the as-prepared ZnO surfaces show an analogous superhydrophobicity but tunable water adhesion that ranges from very high to extremely low, on which the sliding angle is controlled from 90° (the water droplet is firmly pinned on the superhydrophobic surface at any tilted angles) to 30±3° and 8±1°, respectively. This simple and practical method can provide an important strategy for the water adhesion adjustment on superhydrophobic surfaces.