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  • Title: Micro-micro hierarchy replacing micro-nano hierarchy: a precisely controlled way to produce wear-resistant superhydrophobic polymer surfaces.
    Author: Huovinen E, Hirvi J, Suvanto M, Pakkanen TA.
    Journal: Langmuir; 2012 Oct 16; 28(41):14747-55. PubMed ID: 23009694.
    Abstract:
    Superhydrophobic polymer surfaces are typically fabricated by combining hierarchical micro-nanostructures. The surfaces have a great technological potential because of their special water-repellent and self-cleaning properties. However, the poor mechanical robustness of such surfaces has severely limited their use in practical applications. This study presents a simple and swift mass production method for manufacturing hierarchically structured polymer surfaces at micrometer scale. Polypropylene surface structuring was done using injection molding, where the microstructured molds were made with a microworking robot. The effect of the micro-microstructuring on the polymer surface wettability and mechanical robustness was studied and compared to the corresponding properties of micro-nanostructured surfaces. The static contact angles of the micro-microstructured surfaces were greater than 150° and the contact angle hysteresis was low, showing that the effect of hierarchy on the surface wetting properties works equally well at micrometer scale. Hierarchically micro-microstructured polymer surfaces exhibited the same superhydrophobic wetting properties as did the hierarchically micro-nanostructured surfaces. Micro-microstructures had superior mechanical robustness in wear tests as compared to the micro-nanostructured surfaces. The new microstructuring technique offers a precisely controlled way to produce superhydrophobic wetting properties to injection moldable polymers with sufficiently high intrinsic hydrophobicity.
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