Fabrication of superhydrophobic and highly oleophobic silicon-based surfaces via electroless etching method

This study reports on a simple method for the preparation of superhydrophobic and highly oleophobic nanostructured silicon surfaces. The technique relies on metal-assisted electroless etching of silicon in sodium tetrafluoroborate (NaBF4) aqueous solution. Then, silver particles were deposited on the obtained surfaces, changing their overall physical morphology. Finally, the surfaces were coated by either C4F8, a fluoropolymer deposited by plasma, or by SiOx overlayers chemically modified with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane (PFTS) through silanization reaction. All these surfaces exhibit a superhydrophobic character (large apparent contact angle and low hysteresis with respect to water). In addition, they present high oleophobic properties, i.e. a high repellency to low surface energy liquids with various contact angle hysteresis, both depending on the morphology and type of coating.