Journal of Materials Science, Vol.49, No.9, 3379-3390, 2014
Impact dynamics of water droplets on Cu films with three-level hierarchical structures
Three Cu films with different three-level hierarchical structures were fabricated using a one-step electric brush-plating technique. Impact dynamics of water droplets on three Cu films was investigated. In the absence of surface chemical modification, the Cu films showed static hydrophobicity and even superhydrophobicity. Under dynamic impact, the two hydrophobic Cu films were wetted partially, whereas the superhydrophobic Cu film exhibited considerably robust water-repellency in a wide range of Weber number. Analysis based on the pressure balance relation revealed that the considerably robust water-repellency of the superhydrophobic Cu film arises from the damping role of the varied height and shape of the micro-protrusions in lowering the water hammer pressure, the delaying role of the submicro-bumps on the side of the micro-protrusions in preventing the penetration process of the depinned water-air interface and the critical surface hydrophobization role of the nano-scale structure in changing the wetting property of the basal surface of the Cu film from hydrophilicity to hydrophobicity.