Stability of the hydrophilic and superhydrophobic properties of oxygen plasma-treated poly(tetrafluoroethylene) surfaces

► Lower-energy O2 plasma treatment of PTFE resulted to hydrophilic surface. ► Higher-energy O2 plasma treatment of PTFE resulted to stable superhydrophobic surface. ► Superhydrophobic surface exhibited low contact angle hysteresis and low sliding angle. ► Surface morphology is responsible for the change in the wettability of the PTFE. ► No significant changes in the FT-IR spectra of the untreated and treated PTFE.