Fabrication of superhydrophobic Cu surfaces on Al substrates via a facile chemical deposition process

This work presents a facile chemical deposition process to fabricate superhydrophobic Cu surfaces on Al substrates. The Al plates were first immersed in an aqueous solution that contains 1 mol/L CuSO4 and 2 mol/L NaCl for 8 s and were then modified by using fluoroalkylsilane to lower the surface energy. The sample surfaces were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and optical contact angle measurements. The as-prepared superhydrophobic Cu surfaces show hierarchical micro/nanometer-scale rough structures comprising pores, pore walls, dendrites, leaves, and particles with a contact angle of 162.7° and a sliding angle of 0.5°.

► Superhydrophobic Cu surfaces on Al substrates were fabricated via a chemical deposition process.
► Cu surfaces consist of hierarchical micro/nanometer-scale structures.
► The water contact and sliding angles of superhydrophobic Cu surfaces on Al substrates are 162.7° and 0.5°, respectively.
► Superhydrophobicity are attributed to the surface roughness and low surface energy.