Thickness-controlled hydrophobicity of fibrous Parylene-C films

Fibrous Parylene-C films with tilted columnar morphology were deposited with a physicochemical version of the oblique-angle deposition (OAD) technique. Advancing contact angles increased from 103.9 degrees (smooth hydrophobic surface) to 168.5 degrees (rough superhydrophobic surface) as the thickness of the film increased from similar to 100 nm to similar to 60 mu m, reflecting changes in the morphology of the top surface. Treatment with oxygen plasma can render these fibrous films completely water wettable. These techniques allow tailoring of surface wettability to meet the demands of specific biomedical applications. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.