One-step electrochemical deposition to achieve superhydrophobic cobalt incorporated amorphous carbon-based film with self-cleaning and anti-corrosion

Exploiting a superhydrophobic surface is very significant due to its excellent water repellency which has many practical applications in various fields. In this work, the cobalt incorporated amorphous carbon-based (Co/a-C:H) film was prepared successfully on Si substrate via a simple 1-step electrochemical deposition where electrochemical deposition technology was using cobalt (II) acetylacetonate methanol solution as electrolyte under high voltage, atmospheric pressure, and low temperature. Surprisingly, the as-prepared film showed a superior superhydrophobic surface with a water contact angle of 153 +/- 1 degrees and a sliding angle of 7.6 degrees without any further modification of low surface energy materials. Especially, the tape adhesive, corrosion resistance, and self-cleaning tests demonstrated that the as-prepared carbon-based film could possess fairly well adhesion, superior anti-corrosion resistance, and self-cleaning ability, respectively. It indicated that the superhydrophobic Co/a-C:H film might have potential promising applications in the field of anti-fouling, anti-corrosion, and drag resistance, such as the above-deck structures on icebreaker vessels, ship hulls, and offshore wind turbine blades.