Superhydrophobic Micro- and Nanostructures Based on Polymer Sticking

Abstract

Superhydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon®, DuPont) sub-micro and nanostructures were fabricated by the dipping method, based on anodization process in oxalic acid. The polymer sticking phenomenon during the replication creates the sub-microstructures on the negative polytetrafluoroethylene nanostructure replica. This process gives a hierarchical structure with nanostructures on sub-microstructures, which looks like the same structures as lotus leaf and enables commercialization. The diameter and the height of the replicated nano pillars were 40 nm and 40 um respectively. The aspect ratio is approximately 1000. The fabricated surface has a semi-permanent superhydrophobicity, the apparent contact angle of the polytetrafluoroethylene sub-micro and nanostructures is about 160 °, and the sliding angle is less than 1°.