Microstructure Hydrophobic surfaces Surface energy Chemical Vapor Deposition Nanostructured Materials
Creating superhydrophobic and superoleophobic coatings on a flat substrate surface is particularly challenging. Usually, rough and highly textured surfaces are required to repel water, while reentrant structures are needed to repel lower surface tension oils. In addition, to create these surface structures, generally top-down subtractive procedures are used, which are complex, multi-step, and often degrade the underlying substrate. In this study, a more direct, single-step, bottom-up process using initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) is demonstrated as a viable means to create superhydrophilic and superoleophobic structures on flat substrates. This was achieved by studying the iCVD growth of semicrystalline poly(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl acrylate) (PPFDA) on flat silicon wafers. Firstly, the effect of iCVD process conditions (substrate temperature, total pressure, and inert gas nitrogen flow) on PPFDA morphology was studied. By tuning those parameters, different morphologies were created, from floret-like to worm-like structures. Moreover, reentrant structures, such as worm-floret and worm-floret-worm structures as well as extended worm structures, were also created through sequential depositions. By controlling PPFDA morphology, it is possible to achieve ultrahigh liquid repellency on flat substrates. Indeed, superhydrophobic (water contact angle >150°) and superoleophobic (hexadecane contact angle >150°, with hysteresis of 7.6°) were achieved with both single and sequential depositions. Coating PPFDA films using iCVD on other dense substrates (glass and aluminum foil) and porous substrates (stainless steel wire cloth and rayon/polyester fabric) also switched their surface wettability from being hydrophilic/oleophilic to superhydrophobic/oleophobic.
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Title
Creating Superhydrophobic and Superoleophobic Poly(1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyl acrylate) Structures by Initiated Chemical Vapor Deposition
Creators
Tien Hong Nguyen
Contributors
Kenneth K. S. Lau (Advisor)
Awarding Institution
Drexel University
Degree Awarded
Master of Science (M.S.)
Publisher
Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Number of pages
xii, 73 pages
Resource Type
Thesis
Language
English
Academic Unit
Chemical (and Biological) Engineering [Historical]; College of Engineering (1970-2026); Drexel University