Abstract
Exploring the conditions and mechanisms of wetting state transition from the Cassie state to the Wenzel state and determining the final equilibrium wetting state of the system has always been one of most actively studied topics in the field of superhydrophobic behavior of rough surfaces. A three-dimensional (3D) thermodynamic analysis model of an irregular micro-texture surface (IMS) is established for the first time in this research. The IMS is composed of six different protrusions (cone, cylinder, positive truncated cone, inverted truncated cone, paraboloid, and spherical crown) randomly arranged on a hexagonal honeycomb structure. Based on the Gibbs free energy principle and the actual three-phase contact line (TCL) with droplet motion, generalized theoretical expressions for determining the free energy (FE) and free energy barrier (FEB) for equilibrium wetting states have been derived. Evaluating the critical geometric parameter for the Cassie-Wenzel transition has also been inferred. To a considerable extent, the transition mechanism is closely related to the height and maximum diameter of micro protrusions. This study provides a breakthrough theoretical support for the industrial preparation of robust solid superhydrophobic surfaces.
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