Preparation of Superhydrophobic Surfaces Based on Copper Mesh Substrates and Its Application Performance

Abstract

It is not uncommon for metals to corrode, causing the properties of the material to be affected. Superhydrophobic materials have made effective advances in metal corrosion protection because they can effectively insulate liquids from being trapped on metal surfaces. In this study, self-assembled films were formed using octadecanethiol (ODT) modification to obtain superhydrophobic as well as superoleophilic bifunctional materials. With a water contact angle (WCA) of 156°, the material surface exhibits excellent self-cleaning properties. It is also stable in highly corrosive environments. The good hydrophobicity of the material is due to the more tightly arranged conical structure and the ODT coatings of the treated copper mesh surface. The Cassie-Baxter equation calculations showed that the total exposed area of water droplets in air (91.35%) is significantly higher than the area in contact with metal surfaces. This work provides a new strategy for the design of self-assembled surface-modified superhydrophobic materials with excellent performance and stable properties by controlling the chemical composition and morphology of the material surface. The materials are prepared by avoiding cumbersome steps and the use of unusual materials and instrumentation, which allows our designs to greatly reduce the economic costs of time, labor, and raw materials, and to facilitate large-scale industrial preparation and application. The prepared superhydrophobic and superoleophilic synergistic surfaces have excellent self-cleaning properties, wetting stability, anti-corrosive properties, oil-water separation properties, coagulation properties, and durability and have a wide range of applications in the fields of anti-corrosion and seawater desalination.