Abstract:

The fabrication of enhanced hydrophobic surfaces via simple and inexpensive means will be discussed. Regular arrays of microscale pores were prepared in polymer matrices via the spontaneous assembly of water-vapor condensation, the so-called breath figure method. Using these regular arrays of pores as templates, the analogous array of pillars (inverse pores) was transferred to polymeric films. These microtextured surfaces have greatly enhanced the hydrophobicity of the polymer when measured by the contact angle. This method of producing super-hydrophobic textured surfaces should be amenable to high-throughput, low-cost manufacturing of many polymeric surfaces.