Preparation and stability of superhydrophobic surfaces on copper and zinc substrates

The superhydrophobic surfaces on copper and zinc substrates were prepared via controlled oxidation-dehydration and one-step immersion method, respectively. The stability of such surfaces was investigated using different solvents and solutions of acid and alkali with pH values ranging from 4 to 10 for different time. Results show that the copper- and zinc-based superhydrophobic surfaces have a certain solvent resistance, and the surfaces show high hydrophobicity with contact angle greater than 130° (about 150° for zinc substrate) after 3 days immersion in these solvents including deionized water, methanol, toluene, ethanol, and acetone. Moreover, the contact angles gradually decreased with prolonged immersion time in the acid and alkali solutions for both copper and zinc substrates. In addition, the zinc-based superhydrophobic surfaces have a better solvent, acid, and alkali stability than the copper-based superhydrophobic surfaces. Copyright © 2016 American Scientific Publishers All rights reserved.