Design of superhydrophobic surfaces by synthesis of carbon nanotubes over Co-Mo nanocatalysts deposited under microwave irradiation on Ti-containing mesoporous silica thin films

The superhydrophobic surface has been designed by the synthesis of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on Ti-containing mesoporous silica thin films (Ti-MSTFs) with Co-Mo binary nanocatalysts. The active Co-Mo catalysts have been successfully deposited on Ti-MSTFs under microwave irradiation. SEM and TEM observations after CNT synthesis revealed that surfaces of Ti-MSTFs were densely covered with CNTs having a diameter of 15 nm. Raman spectra indicated that the undesired structural defects in the carbon network of the synthesized CNTs, which would lead to the formation of hydroxyl groups, were scarce. Interestingly, hydrophobic properties of samples after CNT synthesis were enhanced with increasing titanium concentration of Ti-MSTF, and the water contact angle reached up to 165° on Ti-MSTF with a titanium concentration of 10 at%. The combination of dispersed titanium oxide moieties within the silica frameworks and the microwave irradiation made a great contribution to deposit active Co-Mo catalysts responsible for the formation of well-dense CNTs.     

Reversible wettability of a chemical vapor deposition prepared ZnO film between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity

A superhydrophobic ZnO thin film was fabricated by the Au-catalyzed chemical vapor deposition method. The surface of the film exhibits hierarchical structure with nanostructures on sub-microstructures. The water contact angle (CA) was 164.3 degrees, turning into a superhydrophilic one (CA < 5 degrees) after UV illumination, which can be recovered through being placed in the dark or being heated. The film was attached tightly to the substrate, showing good stability and durability. The surface structures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy.     

CaCO_3颗粒模板法制备聚合物超亲水/超疏水表面

以碳酸钙(CaCO3)颗粒层为模板,运用简单的热压和酸蚀刻相结合的方法制备聚合物超亲水/超疏水表面.首先在玻璃基底上均匀铺撒一层CaCO3颗粒,以此作为模板,通过热压线性低密度聚乙烯(LLDPE)使CaCO3颗粒均匀镶嵌在聚合物表面,获得了超亲水性质;进一步经酸蚀得到了具有微米和亚微米多孔结构的表面,其水滴静态接触角(WCA)可达(152.7±0.8)°,滚动角小于3°,具备超疏水性质.表面浸润性能和耐水压冲击性能研究表明该超疏水表面具有良好的稳定性和持久性.用同样工艺微模塑/酸蚀刻其它疏水性聚合物,得到类似结果.     

热解碳包覆的碳纳米管复合二氧化锰薄膜超级电容器

通过化学气相沉积(CVD)的方法,在碳纳米管(CNT)薄膜及其连接处沉积热解碳(PC)来限制CNTs之间的滑移。通过扫描电镜(SEM)观察发现,热解碳(PC)的沉积使得CNT表面更加平整,且表面的孔洞更加均匀。通过应力应变及亲疏水性测试发现,CNT/PC复合薄膜的拉伸强度增加了200%,水与薄膜的静态接触角由123°减小到78°。其后通过电化学沉积的方法,制备得到CNT/PC/MnO2薄膜电极材料,通过电化学测试得知,在1 mA/cm^2的电流下单电极的比电容为326 mF/cm^2,可以稳定循环10000圈,电容的保持率稳定在100%左右。     

可粘贴超疏水薄膜的制备

通过聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)与碳纤维织物复合, 采用模板法在PDMS聚合物表面构筑微阵列结构, 制备了一种具有可重复粘贴性的超疏水薄膜. 研究结果表明, 该薄膜微结构表面的接触角为154°, 滚动角为14°, 具有低黏附的超疏水特性. 而PDMS与碳纤维织物的紧密结合, 赋予了超疏水薄膜较高的黏接力和力学性能, 断裂强度达到116.96 MPa. 所制备的超疏水薄膜可粘贴于多种材料表面, 同时经过30 d的长时间粘贴以及50次的循环粘贴后, 该薄膜依然保持着较高的黏附性能及超疏水特征, 表明超疏水薄膜具有良好的力学稳定性及耐久性, 满足长时间可重复使用的要求, 可应用于对破损超疏水涂层的快速、 大面积粘贴修复.     

Effect of nano‐size nodular structure induced by CNT‐promoted phase separation on the fabrication of superhydrophobic polyvinyl chloride films

The nonsolvent‐induced phase separation (NIPS) method was employed to fabricate the porous films based on polyvinyl chloride loaded with carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The combinational addition of CNTs and a proper nonsolvent (ethanol) resulted in a porous surface layer with the nano‐size nodular structure possessing an exact superhydrophobic behavior (water contact angle [WCA] = 157° and sliding angle [SA] <5°). The size of PVC nodules at the surface layer varies in the range of 200 to 800 nm depending on the nonsolvent concentrations, and polymer molecular weight. The effects of various nonsolvent concentrations as well as PVC molecular weight on the surface properties of the films were also investigated. Morphological and roughness analyses revealed the pronounced role of PVC molecular weight on the size of nodules, and the structural uniformity of the surface morphology based on the thermodynamic parameters such as relaxation time and dynamic of polymer chains. The concurrent use of CNTs and nonsolvent led to promote the NIPS process due to the nucleating role of CNTs, which were localized within the polymer‐rich phase leading to an ultra‐fine and packed nodular surface structure. Transmission electron microscopy results also proved the very well dispersion quality of CNTs. Glass transition temperature of PVC was also assessed, and the results were correlated to the associating ability of CNTs with polymer chains during the phase separation process. Overall, the promising potential of CNT/ethanol combination on the surface porosity and hydrophobicity of PVC nanocomposite films was revealed in this study, which could further extend its application window.     

Carbon nanotube film by filtration as cathode catalyst support for proton-exchange membrane fuel cell

A simple filtration method is developed to prepare a partially oriented superhydrophobic film of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that have been catalyzed with uniform small Pt nanoparticles (2.8 nm) at high metal loading (30 wt %). A proton-exchange membrane fuel cell with the oriented CNT film as the cathode achieves higher single-cell performance than those with carbon black and a disordered CNT-film-based cathode probably because of the enhanced electrocatalytic activity of Pt/CNT and improved mass transport within the oriented film.     

碳纳米管/ZnO纳米复合体的制备和表征

通过将不同直径的ZnO纳米颗粒与碳纳米管连接制备了碳纳米管/ZnO纳米复合体. 将团聚的ZnO纳米颗粒分散并用表面活性剂CTAB使纳米颗粒带正电. 化学氧化碳纳米管使其带负电. ZnO/CTAB微团通过碳管表面羧基与CTAB的静电作用与碳纳米管连接形成纳米复合体. 研究了复合体形成的不同实验条件, 表征了碳纳米管/ZnO纳米复合体的结构并研究了纳米复合体的光学特性. 研究表明, 与碳纳米管连接的ZnO纳米颗粒是互不连接的并保持量子点的特性. 光致发光研究表明ZnO纳米颗粒的激发在纳米复合体中有淬灭.     

直接浸泡法构筑纯铜的超疏水表面

以棕榈酸-乙醇溶液为疏水剂,利用直接浸泡法在纯铜表面上构筑了超疏水薄膜。 纯铜表面超疏水薄膜的最佳制备条件为：0.03 mol/L棕榈酸-乙醇溶液,室温（20～22 ℃）,浸泡144 h。 通过扫描电子显微镜、接触角测量仪、红外光谱仪和高精密电子天平对超疏水表面进行了表征和分析。 实验结果表明,纯铜试样表面形成了100～200 μm大小的草状棕榈酸铜微簇,接触角达到了150°,其具有较好的抗结垢性能。     

Hexamethyldisiloxane‐modified ZnO‐SiO2‐coated superhydrophobic textiles for antibacterial application

A superhydrophobic cotton textile with high antibacterial properties has been fabricated. The cotton textile was coated through the in situ growth of ZnO‐SiO₂ nanoparticles in presence of chitosan as the template agent via a hydrothermal process at 95 °C. This process was followed by the coating of additional layers of hexadecyltrimethoxysilane (HDTMS). The obtained cotton textile showed antibacterial property against Staphylococcus epidermis and Escherichia coli with inhibition zones up to 18.26 and 8.48 mm, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the coating had a rough surface, which was attributed to the distribution of ZnO‐SiO₂ nanorods of hexagonal shape. This rough surface creates a superhydrophobic layer that repels the bacteria, as proven by the large water contact angle of approximately 150°. Nevertheless, the HDTMS layers prolong the durability of hydrophobicity for up to 3 h.     

Ultraviolet-durable superhydrophobic zinc oxide-coated mesh films for surface and underwater-oil capture and transportation

In this paper, we report a simple and an inexpensive method for fabricating superhydrophobic/superoleophilic mesh films from microstructured ZnO coatings. The microstructured ZnO coatings, which do not contain any fluorinated compounds, maintain their superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity after ultraviolet irradiation and display environmental stability. Furthermore, those microstructured ZnO-coated mesh films exhibit good selectivity (even underwater) and excellent recyclability, making them promising candidates for many potential applications, including liquid-liquid separation, water treatment, and liquid transportation.     

Superhydrophobic perpendicular nanopin film by the bottom-up process

We first fabricated the superhydrophobic film with a water contact angle of 178 degrees based on a perpendicular nanopin fractal structure by a bottom-up process. Until now, only materials with an original water contact angle larger than 90 degrees , which is classified as hydrophobicity, could be used to fabricate the superhydrophobic film (>170 degrees ) according to the possible fractal structure by a top-down process. Now, in this work, a water contact angle of about 178 degrees can be achieved using a lauric acid-coated film with an original contact angle of 75 degrees , which is classified as hydrophilicity, based on an ideal fractal structure for the superhydrophobic surface which is fabricated by the nanosize pin with 6.5 nm diameter.     

Effect of graphitization on the wettability and electrical conductivity of CVD-carbon nanotubes and films

The use of carbon nanomaterials in various applications requires precise control of their surface and bulk properties. In this paper, we present a strategy for modifying the surface chemistry, wettability, and electrical conductivity of carbon tubes and films through annealing in a vacuum. Experiments were conducted with 60-300 nm nanotubes (nanopipes), produced by noncatalytic chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in a porous alumina template, and with thin films deposited by the same technique on a glassy carbon substrate having the same structure and chemistry of the CNTs. The surface of the as-produced CVD-carbon, treated with sodium hydroxide to remove the alumina template, is hydrophilic, and the bulk electrical conductivity is lower by a factor of 20 than that of fully graphitic multiwalled nanotubes (MWNT) or bulk graphite. The bulk electrical conductivity increases to the conductivity of graphite after annealing at 2000 degrees C in a high vacuum. The analysis of CNTs by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Raman spectroscopy shows the ordering of carbon accompanied by an exponential increase of the in-plane crystallite size, L(a), with increasing annealing temperature. Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) was used to study the interaction of CNT with water, and contact angle measurements performed using the sessile drop method on CVD-carbon films demonstrate that the contact angle increases nearly linearly with increasing annealing temperature.     

Superhydrophobic thermoplastic polyurethane films with transparent/fluorescent performance

In this paper, we report a simple and versatile route for the fabrication of superhydrophobic thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) films. The approach is based on octadecanamide (ODAA)-directed assembly of nanosilica/TPU/ODAA hybrid with a well-defined sheetlike microstructure. The superhydrophobic hybrid film shows a transparent property, and its water contact angle reaches as high as 163.5° without any further low surface energy treatment. In addition, the superhydrophobic TPU hybrid film with fluorescent properties is achieved by smartly introducing CdTe quantum dots, which will extend potential application of the film to optoelectronic areas. The resulting fluorescent surface produced in this system is stable and has a water contact angle of 172.3°. This assembly method to control surface structures represents an intriguing and valuable route to tune the surface properties of organic-inorganic hybrid films.     

含氟硅丙烯酸酯乳液超疏水膜中疏水基团的梯度分布与表面微观结构研究

利用含氟疏水基团的梯度分布,结合草莓形纳米SiO2粒子提供的双重粗糙表面,制备了具有类"荷叶效应"的超疏水涂膜,水接触角达(174.2±2)°,滞后角几乎接近0°.通过原子力显微镜、扫描电镜和水接触角的测试对膜表面形貌及疏水性能进行了表征;探讨了其表面微观结构与表面疏水性能的关系.草莓形复合粒子在膜表面的无规则排列赋予涂膜表面不同等级的粗糙度,使水滴与涂膜表面接触时能够形成高的空气捕捉率,这种微观结构与疏水基团的梯度分布相结合,赋予了含氟硅丙烯酸酯乳液涂膜表面超疏水性能.     

Production and characterization of stable superhydrophobic surfaces based on copper hydroxide nanoneedles mimicking the legs of water striders

The present work reports a simple and economic route for production and characterization of stable superhydrophobic surfaces from thin copper layers coated on arbitrary solid substrates. The thin copper layer was anodized in a 2 M aqueous solution of potassium hydroxide to form a thin film of copper hydroxide nanoneedles; then the film was reacted with n-dodecanethiol to form a thermally stable Cu(SC12H25)2 superhydrophobic coating. The contact angle of the modified nanoneedle surface was higher than 150 degrees , and its tilt angle was smaller than 2 degrees . Furthermore, the surface fabricated on copper foil kept its superhydrophobic property after heating at 160 degrees C in air for over 42 h. This technique has also been applied for fabrication of copper wire with superhydrophobic submicrofiber coating to mimic water strider legs. The maximal supporting force of the superhydrophobic copper column has also been investigated in comparison to real water striders.     

溶胶凝胶法制备仿生超疏水性薄膜

通过溶胶-凝胶(Sol-Gel)法和自组装(Self-assembled)制备了具有超疏水性的薄膜, 水滴在该薄膜上的平衡静态接触角为155°～157°, 滑动角为3°～5°. 通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)观察薄膜微观表面, 发现该薄膜表面分布了双层结构(Binary structure)的微纳米粗糙度的微凸体, 上表层微米微凸体的平均直径为0. 2 μm, 下表层纳米微凸体的平均直径约为13 nm, 其分布与荷叶表面的结构极其相似. 用X射线光电子能谱(XPS)对薄膜表面元素进行了成分分析, 结果表明, 其表面存在大量的F, Cl等元素, 它能显著降低薄膜表面的表面能. 薄膜超疏水性的原因可能是, 通过硅片经溶胶粒子表面制备的薄膜具有合适的表面粗糙度, 再经过全氟辛基三氯甲硅烷(FOTMS)化学修饰后, 薄膜表面能进一步降低, 这两个条件的有机结合就使得薄膜产生了超疏水性.     

霸王鞭和麒麟掌叶片的表面微结构及超疏水性

霸王鞭(Euphorbia antiquorum)和麒麟掌(Euphorbia neriifolia var. cristata)是2种特殊的叶片, 正面不疏水而叶片背面超疏水的沙漠植物. 本文通过接触角测试仪、 电子显微镜和表面张力测试仪分别对叶片的超疏水性、 表面微观形貌和表面黏附力进行了测试和表征. 采用模板法, 以聚乙烯醇为模板、 以聚苯乙烯为基底制备仿叶片背面结构的聚苯乙烯薄膜, 并对薄膜表面的超疏水性、 表面微观形貌和表面黏附力进行了测试和表征, 发现这2种叶片背面的平均间距为1~3 μm的层片状微观结构可以构建出具有超疏水高黏附力特性的表面.     

Preparation of ZnO Film on 2024Al Surface for Hydrophobicity Investigation

A uniform ZnO film with microscale rod-like structure has been obtained on 2024Al surface by the hydrothermal method and perfluorooctanoicacid has been used to enhance the surface hydrophobic performance of the ZnO film. The as-prepared ZnO film was characterized by scan electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). The results indicate that the ZnO film is uniform and the ZnO microrods are 2 um in length. The water contact angle of hydrophobic surface is 146° and the sliding angle is 10°.     

Fabrication and mechanical durability of a superhydrophobic copper surface with morphological development from hydrothermal reaction

The superhydrophobic surface on copper is fabricated by using a simple hydrothermal reaction and subsequent perfluorosilane treatment. The micro‐structured and nano‐structured surface was directly obtained through the hydrothermal reaction of copper sheets with sulfur at 180 °C for 12 h, resulting in the formation of copper sulfide film on the copper substrate. The chemical composition of this film was confirmed using X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy. After copper sulfide film is treated by perfluorosilane, the superhydrophobic surface with static water contact angle of 153 °C and a low contact angle hysteresis is achieved. The superhydrophobic surface shows strong mechanical stability and can effectively protect the copper substrate. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.