Tunable Nanoporous Structures with Rose Petal Effect by Soft-Template Electropolymerization of Benzotrithiophene Monomers

Here, various original benzotrithiophene-based monomers are synthesized and studied for their capacity to form nanoporous structures by soft-template electropolymerization in organic solvent while studying the influence of water (H2O). Here, nanoporous structures are especially observed in solvent saturated with H2O, while the substituent has in influence especially on the size of the porous structures. The highest hydrophobic properties Theta(w)=141.1 degrees are obtained with perfluorooctyl chains (BTT-F-8), which leads to a huge number of nanoporous structures of extremely small size. Moreover, the surfaces have also strong water adhesion comparable to rose petals or gecko foot and could be used in future applications in water harvesting systems.

Automated summary

In this study, various original benzotrithiophene-based monomers were synthesized and investigated for their ability to form nanoporous structures through soft-template electropolymerization in organic solvents, with a focus on the influence of water. It was found that nanoporous structures were especially observed in solvent saturated with water, and the substituent had a significant influence on the size of the porous structures. The highest hydrophobic properties were achieved with perfluorooctyl chains, leading to the formation of a large number of extremely small nanoporous structures. Furthermore, the surfaces exhibited strong water adhesion comparable to rose petals or gecko feet, suggesting potential applications in water harvesting systems.