Metal dopant infused superhydrophobic aluminum surface through sustainable processing

The present work proposes a simple, scalable, and economical route for producing superhydrophobic surfaces using thermomechanical and microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatments. Infusing dopants (Mg, Fe) during thermomechanical processing resulted in a distinct and denser nanostructures on aluminum surface. The silanization of these surfaces resulted in superhydrophobicity (& theta;a > 160 degrees) with low hysteresis (& AP; 2 degrees) and adhesion (& AP; 25 & mu;N) compared to un-doped surface. The reduction in pitch between nanostructures enhanced capillary pressure (> 900 kPa), stabilizing Cassie state and restricting three-phase line sagging. The present work highlights the importance of doping in enhancing the durability of nanostructures for improving de-wettability.

Automated summary

This study proposes a simple and cost-effective method for producing superhydrophobic surfaces through thermomechanical and microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatments. The infusion of dopants (Mg, Fe) during thermomechanical processing resulted in denser and distinct nanostructures on an aluminum surface. Silanization of these surfaces led to superhydrophobicity (θa > 160 degrees) with low hysteresis (≤2 degrees) and adhesion (≤ 25 μN), compared to the undoped surface. The reduced pitch between nanostructures enhanced capillary pressure (> 900 kPa), stabilizing the Cassie state and restricting three-phase line sagging.