In-situ fabrication of superhydrophobic surface on copper with excellent anti-icing and anti-corrosion properties

Abstract

The accumulation of ice on electrical construction works not only leads to the reduced efficiency of power supply and heat exchangers, but also increases the energy losses and even brings about serious disasters. Therefore, it is essential to reduce or eliminate the issue of ice accumulation on metal constructions. Nowadays, superhydrophobic surfaces have received lots of attentions for their outstanding hydrophobicity. In this study, Cu(OH)2 nano grass was firstly in-situ constructed on copper surface via simple anodization, then superhydrophobic CuO nano needles were obtained after the dehydration of Cu(OH)2 and modification with fluoro-alkyl silanes. The results showed that when the anodic oxidation temperature was 20 °C and the current density was 2 mA·cm−2, nano-needle-like multistage micro-nano structures can be obtained. The as-prepared superhydrophobic surface showed the water contact angle as large as 162° and sliding angle lower to 4°. Additionally, the as-prepared superhydrophobic surface displayed outstanding anti-icing property, delaying icing substantially even under − 10 °C environment regardless of droplet volume and type. Moreover, it also revealed good anti-corrosion property with a corrosion current density of 2.2 × 10−8 Ω·cm2 and the corrosion resistance of 1.55 × 106 Ω·cm2 which is about three order of magnitudes than that of bare copper. We prospect that this easily prepared surface can provide a solution of anti-icing and anti-corrosion for electrical construction works and large-scale metals.