Fabrication of micro-textured surfaces for a high hydrophobicity by evaporative patterning using screen mesh templates

In this study, micro-textured surfaces for a high hydrophobicity were fabricated through evaporative patterning of a hydrophobic polymer, CYTOP using various types of screen meshes as the templates. The screen meshes were placed over a hydrophilic glass substrate followed by casting a polymer solution onto the templates to wet the surface entirely. Slow evaporation of the solution gave various types of micro-textured patterns depending on the polymer concentration, the mesh counts, the evaporation temperature, the type of the mesh, whether or not the mesh is calendared. The structures were characterized by optical and scanning electric microscopy, and contact angle (CA) measurements. The mechanism of the pattern formation is discussed. Finally, addition of graphene to the micro-textured surface gave a superhydrophobic surface (CA: 155°), which is concluded that a hierarchical micro/nano structure could be formed.