The effects of nanostructure and composition on the hydrophobic properties of solid surfaces

Abstract The effects of nanoroughness and chemical composition on the contact and sliding angles on hydrophobic surfaces were studied theoretically and experimentally. A theoretical model based on forces developed at the contact area between a liquid drop and hydrophobic smooth or nanoroughened surface was developed and compared with the existing models, which are based on forces developed at the periphery between the drop and the solid surface. The contact area based model gives rise to an interfacial adhesion strength parameter that better describes the drop-sliding phenomenon. Consequently, relationships were derived describing the dependence between the interfacial adhesion strength of the liquid drop to the surface of a given composition, the mass of the drop, the measured contact angles and the sliding angle. For a given surface chemistry, the sliding angle on a nanometric roughened surface can be predicted based on measurements of contact angles and the sliding angle on the respective smooth surface. Various hydrophobic coatings having different surface nanoroughnesses were prepared and, subsequently, contact angles and sliding angles on them as a function of drop volume were measured. The validity of the proposed model was investigated and compared with the existing models and the proposed model demonstrated good agreement with experimental results. Keywords: NANOROUGHNESSNANOMETRICCONTACT ANGLESLIDING ANGLEHYDROPHOBIC SURFACESINTERFACIAL ADHESION STRENGTHCOATINGS