Mechanical durability of superhydrophobic and oleophobic copper meshes

We developed a simple and inexpensive method to prepare the superhydrophobic and oleophobic copper meshes with rough structures fabrication and chemical modification. The achieved surfaces displayed liquid-repellent toward water and several organic liquids (such as hexadecane), which possessed much lower surface tension than that of water. Liquid repellency of the fabricated superhydrophobic copper mesh was demonstrated by visible experiment results and contact angle measurements. Even if the superhydrophobic copper mesh was rolled up, it still kept the superhydrophobicity. The mechanical durability was investigated by finger touch and mechanical abrasion tests. The results indicated that the copper mesh can maintain its superhydrophobicity against an abrasion length of 300 cm under a high pressure (77.2 kPa). The superhydrophobicity and oleophobicity, combined with mechanical durability, would promote the superhydrophobic surface to practical application in industry in the future.