Open AccessHydrophilic patterning of superhydrophobic surfaces by atmospheric‐pressure plasma jet
Author(s) -
Chen Faze,
Xu Wenji,
Lu Yao,
Song Jinlong,
Huang Shuai,
Wang Long,
Parkin Ivan P.,
Liu Xin
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
micro and nano letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.25
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1750-0443
DOI - 10.1049/mnl.2014.0590
Subject(s) - superhydrophilicity , wetting , contact angle , materials science , x ray photoelectron spectroscopy , atmospheric pressure plasma , scanning electron microscope , chemical engineering , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , nanotechnology , plasma , composite material , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
An atmospheric‐pressure plasma jet (APPJ) has been developed to fabricate hydrophilic patterns on superhydrophobic surfaces. The surface morphologies, chemical compositions and wettability were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, Fourier‐transform infrared spectrophotometry, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and water contact angle measurement. The results show that the superhydrophobic areas exposed to the APPJ could be completely converted to superhydrophilic without changing the macro and microsurface morphologies. The transition from superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity is because of the decrease of hydrophobic fluorine‐containing functional groups and the increase of the hydrophilic oxygen‐containing functional groups. Combined with scanning and mask technology, complex and large‐area wettability contrast patterns can be easily fabricated on various superhydrophobic substrates by the APPJ treatment. Additionally, the retention of intrinsic microstructures enables the surface to recover superhydrophobicity only by using surface fluorination. This results in a rapid reversible transition between superhydrophilicity and superhydrophobicity.