Substrate-independent sequential deposition process to obtain the lotus effect based on mussel-inspired polydopamine

A substrate-independent route to achieve the lotus effect on a variety of substrates is proposed based on mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA), and was tested on titanium alloy, polypropylene and silicon substrates. The substrates were firstly coated with PDA and then sequentially transferred to aqueous CuCl2 and AgNO3 solutions for copper and silver deposition. Finally, the samples were passivated by the low-surface-energy molecules of 1-dodecanethiol, and surface superhydrophobicity (contact angle > 160°; sliding angle between 1° and 2°) could be obtained. Due to the strong adhesion of PDA to a wide range of materials, it is expected that this deposition process can be applied to a variety of other substrates including metal, polymer, and inorganic-nonmetallic materials.