Effect of pulse frequency on the one-step preparation of superhydrophobic surface by pulse electrodeposition

A union of surface with rough micro/nano structures and low surface free energy is critical for the preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces. In this study, a rapid one-step pulse electrodepositing method was used to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces on Cu substrates. The electrolyte was prepared with ethanol, myristic acid (CH3(CH2)12COOH) and lanthanum chloride (LaCl3·6H2O). The surface morphology, chemical composition and superhydrophobic property were characterized by SEM, XRD, FTIR, EDX, optical contact angle instrument and high-speed camera. It turned out that the deposited surfaces have micro/nano hierarchical structures mainly being composed of lanthanum myristate. It is found that the optimal water contact angle is approximately 160.3° with a sliding angle of around 5°. The effects of pulse frequency on the surface morphology and wettability were specifically studied and discussed under an equivalent electrolytic time of 10 min. In this way, it can effectively save time and be simply applied to other materials with good conductivity and has a promising wide range application.