Catalytic, Self-Cleaning Surface with Stable Superhydrophobic Properties: Printed Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Arrays Embedded with TiO₂ Nanoparticles

Maintaining the long-term stability of superhydrophobic surfaces is challenging because of contamination from organic molecules and proteins that render the surface hydrophilic. Reactive oxygen species generated on a photocatalyst, such as TiO2, could mitigate this effect by oxidizing these contaminants. However, incorporation of such catalyst particles into a superhydrophobic surface is challenging because the particles become hydrophilic under UV exposure, causing the surface to transition to the Wenzel state. Here we show that a high concentration of hydrophilic TiO2 catalytic nanoparticles can be incorporated into a superhydrophobic surface by partially embedding the particles into a printed array of high aspect ratio polydimethylsiloxane posts. A stable Cassie state was maintained on these surfaces, even under UV irradiation, because of the significant degree of hierarchical roughness. By printing the surface on a porous support, oxygen could be flowed through the plastron, resulting in higher photooxidation rates relative to a static ambient. Rhodamine B and bovine serum albumin were photooxidized both in solution and after drying onto these TiO2-containing surfaces, and the effects of particle location and plastron gas composition were studied in static and flowing gas environments. This approach may prove useful for water purification, medical devices, and other applications where Cassie stability is required in the presence of organic compounds.