Effect of Microstructure on Coalescence-Induced Droplet Jumping Behavior of a Superhydrophobic Surface and Its Application for Marine Atmospheric Corrosion Protection

Abstract

Coalescence-induced droplet jumping behavior (CIDJB) refers to the spontaneous jumping of droplets on a specific superhydrophobic surface (SS) without any external energy, which offers a new approach to the field of marine atmospheric corrosion protection by isolating corrosive media. In this study, a flower-like micro–nanocomposite structure SS (F-SS) and a sheet-like nanostructure SS (S-SS) were prepared on copper sheets by ammonia immersion and chemical vapor deposition. Firstly, we observed the microstructure characteristics of the samples and secondly analyzed its chemical composition and wettability. Moreover, the CIDJB was studied by simulated condensation experiments, and the influence of the microstructure on CIDJB was revealed. Meanwhile, the atmospheric corrosion resistance of samples was analyzed by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) measurements, and the protection mechanism of SS through CIDJB was proposed. The results showed that the S-SS had a smaller solid–liquid contact area and lower interfacial adhesion, which is more conducive to CIDJB. Since a larger solid–liquid contact area requires greater interface adhesion energy for the droplets to overcome, droplet jumping behavior was not observed on the F-SS. Compared with the F-SS, the S-SS exhibited outstanding corrosion resistance due to the wettability transition of droplets by CIDJB, which facilitated the restoration of the air film to insulate the corrosive medium. The present study provides a reference for a marine atmospheric corrosion resistance technique through CIDJB on an SS.