Superhydrophobic behavior of coatings based on fluoroalkyl methacrylate copolymers on a textured aluminum surface

This study involved the modification of a textured aluminum surface with reactive fluoroalkyl methacrylate copolymers with short-chain fluoroalkyl radicals and glycidyl methacrylate to achieve superhydrophobic properties. The resulting grafted polymer coatings are characterized by contact angles up to 170 degrees and roll-off angles of 2-3 degrees. The multimodal texture of the modified aluminum surface layer, namely, the etching depth and the penetration depth of polymeric modifiers, has been investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). This study demonstrates an increase in the stability of the heterogeneous wetting regime of superhydrophobic coatings based on fluoroalkyl methacrylate copolymers due to multiple attachment of the polymeric modifier to the surface.

Automated summary

This study successfully achieved superhydrophobic properties by modifying an aluminum surface with reactive fluoroalkyl methacrylate copolymers and glycidyl methacrylate, resulting in contact angles up to 170 degrees. The multi-modal texture of the modified surface layer was investigated using SEM and EDS, demonstrating enhanced stability of the coatings due to multiple attachment of the polymeric modifier to the surface.