Journal
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
Volume 4, Issue 8, Pages 3959-3964Publisher
AMER CHEMICAL SOC
DOI: 10.1021/am300778d
Keywords
reversible wettability; ZnO nanocomposite films; UV irradiation
Funding
- National Science Foundation (NSF CMMI) [0422553]
- National Electric Energy Testing Research and Applications Center (NEETRAC) at Georgia Institute of Technology
- Div Of Civil, Mechanical, & Manufact Inn
- Directorate For Engineering [0422553] Funding Source: National Science Foundation
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Tuning the surface wettability is of great interest for both scientific research and practical applications. We demonstrated reversible transition between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity on a ZnO nanorod/epoxy composite film. The epoxy resin serves as an adhesion and stress relief layer. The ZnO nanorods were exposed after oxygen reactive ion etching of the epoxy matrix. A subsequent chemcial treatment with fluoroalkyl and alkyl silanes resulted in a superhydrophobic surface with a water contact angle up to 158.4 degrees and a hysteresis as low as 1.3 degrees. Under UV irradiation, the water contact angle decreased gradually, and the surface eventually became superhydrophilic because of UV induced decomposition of alkyl silanes and hydroxyl absorption on ZnO surfaces. A reversible transition of surface wettability was realized by alternation of UV illumination and surface treatment. Such ZnO nanocomposite surface also showed improved mechanical robustness.
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