Hydrophobicity of polyaniline microspheres deposited on a glass substrate

A highly hydrophobic surface with a water contact angle of 148.0 degrees has been constructed by depositing salicylic acid-doped polyaniline (PANI-SA) spheres on a glass substrate using a template-free method. The hydrophobicity originates from the contribution of the air trapped in the inter-space of a rough surface aggregated by micro- and nanospheres. Moreover, the deposition time strongly affects the hydrophobicity of the PANI-SA spheres deposited on the substrate. The formation mechanism and hydrophobic origin of the PANI-SA spheres deposited on the substrate are discussed.