Lori Zoudani Elham, Nguyen Nam-Trung, Kashaninejad Navid
Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Nathan Campus, 170 Kessels Road, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
Micromachines (Basel). 2024 Nov 28;15(12):1442. doi: 10.3390/mi15121442.
Surface wettability, the interaction between a liquid droplet and the surface it contacts, plays a key role in influencing droplet behavior and flow dynamics. There is a growing interest in designing surfaces with tailored wetting properties across diverse applications. Advanced fabrication techniques that create surfaces with unique wettability offer significant innovation potential. This study investigates the wettability transition of laser-textured anisotropic surfaces featuring shark skin-inspired microstructures using four post-processing methods: spray coating, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) treatment, silicone oil treatment, and silanization. The impact of each method on surface wettability was assessed through water contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and laser scanning microscopy. The results show a transition from superhydrophilic behavior on untreated laser-textured surfaces to various (super)hydrophobic states following surface treatment. Chemical treatments produced different levels of hydrophobicity and anisotropy, with silanization achieving the highest hydrophobicity and long-term stability, persisting for one year post-treatment. This enhancement is attributed to the low surface energy and chemical properties of silane compounds, which reduce surface tension and increase water repellence. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that post-processing techniques can effectively tailor surface wettability, enabling a wide range of wetting properties with significant implications for practical applications.
表面润湿性是液滴与其接触表面之间的相互作用，在影响液滴行为和流动动力学方面起着关键作用。在各种应用中，设计具有定制润湿性的表面越来越受到关注。能够制造出具有独特润湿性表面的先进制造技术具有巨大的创新潜力。本研究使用四种后处理方法，即喷涂、异丙醇（IPA）处理、硅油处理和硅烷化，研究了具有鲨鱼皮启发微结构的激光纹理化各向异性表面的润湿性转变。通过水接触角测量、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）和激光扫描显微镜评估了每种方法对表面润湿性的影响。结果表明，未经处理的激光纹理化表面呈现超亲水性，经过表面处理后转变为各种（超）疏水状态。化学处理产生了不同程度的疏水性和各向异性，硅烷化实现了最高的疏水性和长期稳定性，处理后一年仍保持稳定。这种增强归因于硅烷化合物的低表面能和化学性质，它们降低了表面张力并增强了拒水性。总之，本研究表明后处理技术可以有效地调整表面润湿性，实现广泛的润湿性，对实际应用具有重要意义。
