Macroporous fluoropolymeric films templated by silica colloidal assembly: A possible route to super-hydrophobic surfaces

A super-hydrophobic surface was obtained on a three-dimensional (3D) polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) macroporous film. The porous films were fabricated through self-assembled silica colloidal templates. The apparent water contact angle of the surface can be tuned from 106° to 153° through altering the sintering temperature and the diameter of the colloidal templates. A composite structure of micro-cavities and nanoholes on the PVDF surface was responsible for the super-hydrophobicity. The wettability of the porous surfaces was described by the use of the Cassie-Baxter model and Wenzel's equation.