Designing superhydrophobic disordered arrays of fibers with hierarchical roughness and low-surface-energy

Abstract

Hierarchical roughness and low surface energy are the main criteria for designing superhydrophobic surfaces with extreme water repellency. Herein, we present a step-wise approach to devise three-dimensional (3D) superhydrophobic disordered arrays of fibers in the form of nonwoven mats exhibiting hierarchical surface roughness and low surface energy. Key design parameters in the form of roughness factors at multiple length scales for 3D nonwoven mats have been quantified. The contact angles have been predicted for each of the wetting regimes that exists for nonwoven mats with predefined level of hierarchical surface roughness and surface energy. Experimental realization of superhydrophobic mats was attained by decorating the highly hydrophilic nonwoven viscose fibers with ZnO rods that effectively modulated the surface roughness at multiple length scales and subsequently, the surface energy was lowered using fluorocarbon treatment. Synergistic effects of hierarchical roughness and surface energy have systematically increased the static water contact angle of nonwoven mat (up to 164°) and simultaneously, lowered the roll-off angle (≈11°).