Wetting Behaviors of an Underwater Oil Droplet on Structured Surfaces

In this study, the wetting behaviors of an underwater oil droplet on structured surfaces were investigated using molecular dynamics simulations and experiments.The wetting states and contact angles of the underwater oil droplet on different hydrophobic surfaces were simulated. The simulation results showed that there were three kinds of equilibrium states on the pillar surfaces: the Wenzel, cross, and Cassie states. Moreover, the equilibrium state of the underwater oil droplet transformed from a Wenzel to Cassie state when the water contact angle decreased. The contact angle of the underwater oil droplet increased as the water contact angle decreased. Furthermore, the wetting behaviors of the underwater oil droplet on rough polytetrafluoroethylene and silicon surfaces were studied in experiments. The experimental results also indicated that the contact angle of the underwater oil droplet increased as the water contact angle decreased, which corresponded well with the simulation results.