Formation of hierarchical CuO microcabbages as stable bionic superhydrophobic materials via a room-temperature solution-immersion process

Abstract

A new hierarchical CuO architecture consisting of densely packed nanoplates and nanoribbons was directly fabricated on Cu foils via a room-temperature solution-immersion process. The architectures resembled cabbages both in the shape and structure, and the plates and ribbons served as the leafstalks and leaves of cabbages, respectively. By carefully monitoring the growth stages, it was found that self-assembled CuO nanoplates could be firstly formed on the Cu foils, and then CuO tiny flexible nanoribbons were grown from the edges of fresh plates. The effect of NaOH concentration on the morphology of CuO structures was discussed. Importantly, stable superhydrophobicity (contact angle CA = 155°), independent of pH value of the water droplets, was successfully observed for CuO microcabbages after modification. The wettability of other CuO micro- and nanoscale hierarchical surface structures fabricated using various NaOH concentrations was also presented. The realization of superhydrophobic bionic surfaces with a new hierarchical morphology of CuO will shed new insights in both the synthesis and application fields.