Abstract
Superhydrophobic surfaces were fabricated through a nanoparticle sol-gel process in the presence of a mono-disperse latex particle. By varying precursor nanoparticle size, surfaces of varying degrees of nanoroughness but controlled macro-roughness were produced, all of which exhibited superhydrophobic properties (θwater >160°, sliding angle <10°). These were immersed in water and studied in situ using synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering where the percentage interface under wetting (in contact with liquid) was directly quantified and found to agree well with traditional Cassie equations. Wetting studies in sodium dodecyl sulphate solutions of decreasing surface tension highlighting surfaces of increased hierarchical roughness (pseudo-fractal dimension ~2.5) contained significant quantity of entrapped air even at fluid surface tensions down to 37 mN m–1.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
