Laser-Engineered Superhydrophobic Polydimethylsiloxane for Highly Efficient Water Manipulation

Abstract

Low-cost, high-quality, and large-area superhydrophobic surfaces are in high demand. This study demonstrates laser-engineered polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a platform for versatile and highly efficient water manipulation. The fabrication process consists of two steps: patterning PDMS with arrayed microlenses and laser pulse scanning. The obtained PDMS is superhydrophobic and exhibits excellent chemical resistance, UV stability, pressure robustness, and substantial mechanical durability. Notably, there is no significant change in the water contact angles after storage in air for 14 months. Microstructural analysis revealed that the sample contained stable nanostructured inorganics such as crystalline silicon, silicon carbide, and sp3-like carbon. The superhydrophobic surface was demonstrated to have versatile and wide applications in oil/water separation and water collection.

Functional PDMS Elastomers: Bulk Composites, Surface Engineering, and Precision Fabrication

“…[ 175 ] Besides UV irradiation, oxygen plasma treatment (see Table 5 ) can introduce hydrophilic moieties (Si‐OH, SiO 2 ) to replace the methyl groups (Si‐CH 3 ) on the PDMS surface. [ 176–181 ] A further polyvinyl alcohol layer generated by dip coating extended the hydrophobicity for two months. [ 182 ] He et al.…”

Laser-Textured Hybrid Brass Pattern Array Surface for High-Efficiency Fog Collection

“…53 This method involve complex chemical reactions and unfriendly chemical reagents. Additionally, some SSH surface obtained by laser inscription with chemical modification and the WCR is between 110.7 and 543 mg h −1 cm −2 , 28,42,54 which usually requires treatment with low surface energy substances to obtain SHB surfaces, such as FAS and octadecanethiol, which is also an environmentally unfriendly and complex process. Overall, our work is greener, simpler, and more efficient with high collection efficiency.…”

“…The extensive efforts in the design of surface wettability simultaneously stimulate the emergence of a wealth of various fabrication methods for constructing SSH-patterned surfaces. Chemical modification, one of the most common methods for fabricating SSH-patterned surfaces, usually requires the chemicals with low surface energy, such as fluoroalkyl silanes (FAS), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polytetrafluoroethylene, and so on. To achieve the best performance, this method includes the chemical etching, necessary plasma treatment, and vapor/liquid phase deposition, which is complicated and costly.…”

Functionally Integrated Device with Robust and Durable Superhydrophobic Surface for Efficient, Continuous, and Recyclable Oil–Water Separation

“…The crosslinked LSR with abundant methyl functional groups endows the microstructural substrate a low free energy surface. [38,39] Combined with the appropriate roughness provided by the RRPs, the as-prepared sample can achieve superhydrophobicity.…”