Fabrication of cobalt-based superhydrophobic coating with micro/nano hierarchical structure without additional hydrophobization treatment

In this study, cobalt-based superhydrophobic coating with nano/micro hierarchical structures was developed on the steel mesh via an easy one-stage chemical bath deposition (CBD) process. The one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) approach was applied to investigate the influence of the type and concentration of the surfactants as the structure-directing agents such as SDS, PEG, and Tween 80 on the wetting properties. Based on the OFAT results, the optimal sample was obtained using the SDS surfactant with 0.0005 mol/L. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Energy Dispersive X-ray (EDX), and Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analyses were used to characterize the surface composition and morphological structure of the optimal sample. The optimal sample showed superhydrophobic behavior with a water contact angle (WCA) of 160.5 degrees +/- 1.3 degrees and a contact angle hysteresis (CAH) of 5 degrees. The morphology of the synthesized sample is a combination of hexagonal structure and nested sheets on the coated steel mesh. The FTIR assessments confirmed the grafting of SDS on the surface. Also, the prepared sample was exhibited excellent time-stable super hydrophobic property and mechanical durability.

Automated summary

In this study, a cobalt-based superhydrophobic coating with nano/micro hierarchical structures was developed on a steel mesh using a one-stage chemical bath deposition process. The optimal sample, obtained using SDS surfactant with a concentration of 0.0005 mol/L, exhibited excellent superhydrophobic behavior and mechanical durability. Surface characterization was performed using various techniques such as FESEM, XRD, EDX, and FTIR.