Water Exclusion Layers Probed by Depth Scan Confocal Raman Microscopy

Abstract Depth scan confocal Raman microscopy was employed to map water and air spatial distributions in immersed superhydrophobic films. Due to the lack of visible nanobubbles on flat surfaces, we have probed heterogeneous surfaces where solid–liquid, liquid–vapor, and vapor–solid coexist. Depth scan profiles show liquid exclusion (vapor) layers inside the fiber arrangement and water in contact only at the fiber apex.