Self Assembled, Ultra-Hydrophobic Micro/Nano-Textured Surfaces
Abstract
The formation of hierarchically ordered arrays of spherical cavities on polymer films is of interest due to potential applications in the reparation of photonic bandgaps materials, environmental sensors, and patterned light-emitting diodes. While many methods are known for the preparation of these porous materials, the breath figure approach has received significant scrutiny because of the simple and robust mechanism of pattern formation. Breath figures are patterned arrays of micrometer-sized defects in a polymer film, formed when water droplets condense onto a polymer solution surface during film drying. By control variables such as relative humidity and solvent, the feature size and uniformity of the resultant pattern can be control The breath figure approach is valuable because it is versatile, inexpensive, and provides the advantages of large area ordering in the nano and micrometer regime. The self assembly of regular arrays of nano and microscale pores in polymer matrices generated using the breath figure technique is being explored. Experimental parameters are modified to vary the size, spacing, organization, and long-range order of these self-organizing surfaces. Utilizing these regular arrays of pores as templates, we have patterned analogous arrays of pillars (inverse pores) from a polymer film cast onto the patterned surface. These micro/nano-textured surfaces have enhanced the hydrophobicity of the textured polymer when measured by contact angle. This method of producing ultrahydrophobic textured surfaces should be amenable to high-throughput, low-cost manufacturing of myriad polymeric surfaces.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA469154
Entities
People
- Adam M. Rawlett
- Afia Karikari
- Joshua A. Orlicki
- Nicole E. Zander
- Tim Long
Organizations
- United States Army Research Laboratory