A robust superhydrophobic surface and origins of its self-cleaning properties

A hierarchical surface was fabricated by electrodeposition of copper coating and chemical oxidation to form copper oxide, and the surface energy was lowered by chemical modification. The optimum parameters including seven days of chemical modification, 0.12 mol/L of (NH4)2S2O8, 2.5 mol/L of KOH and 60 °C of oxidation temperature were used to fabricate the superhydrophobic surface with a water contact angle up to around 160° and a sliding angle about 3° on a steel substrate. Silver mirror effect and simple calculation showed that the wetting state between a water droplet and the hierarchical superhydrophobic surface was the Cassie state. This superhydrophobic surface had excellent self-cleaning properties for two different sizes (∼ 50 μm and 150 μm) of fly-ash cenospheres, and we gave the reason for its self-cleaning properties by the force involved at the interface. We also investigated the dynamics of water droplets impinging onto the superhydrophobic surface with different impact velocities, ranging from 0.31 m/s to 1.71 m/s, and found that all the water droplets could rebound from the superhydrophobic surface, with no trace of adhesion. In addition, a variety of tests were performed to assess the robustness of the superhydrophobic surfaces.