Templateless electrodeposition of conducting polymer nanotubes on mesh substrates for high water adhesion

• Formation of nanotubes on stainless steel meshes by electropolymerization (templateless).
• Nanotube size dependent on the deposition charge.
• Formation of parahydrophobic mesh substrates with controllable water adhesion.

Inspired by phenomena present in nature, the formation of substrates with high water adhesion is extremely important for a large range of potential applications in waterproof textiles, water transportation and harvesting, microfluidic devices or oil/water separation membranes. We report for the first time the use of a templateless electropolymerization process on mesh substrates to induce the formation of nanotubes. We study the growth of nanotubes on meshes and their effect on the surface hydrophobicity. Here, the best results (θ=134.4°θ=134.4° with extremely high water adhesion) are obtained by controlling the deposition charge (Qs) and the mesh opening, which leads to a high covering in nanotubes. The work is the first step in the control on nanotubes on complex substrates and could be find many potential applications in water transportation and harvesting, energy systems and biosensing.

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