Superhydrophobicity on transparent fluorinated ethylene propylene films with nano-protrusion morphology by Ar+O2 plasma etching: Study of the degradation in hydrophobicity after exposure to the environment

Gupta, Nitant and Kavya, M V and Singh, Yogesh and Jyothi, J and Barshilia, Harish C (2013) Superhydrophobicity on transparent fluorinated ethylene propylene films with nano-protrusion morphology by Ar+O2 plasma etching: Study of the degradation in hydrophobicity after exposure to the environment. Journal of Applied Physics, 114. p. 164307. ISSN 0021-8979

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Abstract

Fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) films were made superhydrophobic by Ar + O2 plasma etching process. Field emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy studies of the plasma-treated FEP samples detected the presence of uniformly distributed nano-protrusions exhibiting a low surface roughness necessary for maintaining the transparency of the samples. In fact, optical transmittance measurements showed an improvement in the transparency of FEP samples after plasma treatment. The X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis showed the presence of –CF x –O–CF x – (x = 1, 2, or 3) linkages in both untreated and plasma-treated samples which explains the hydrophilic nature (contact angle below 90∘) of the untreated sample. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed no changes in the bulk properties of the plasma-treated samples. Moreover, exposure to the environment caused the surfaces to lose their superhydrophobic property in an indefinite amount of time. This has been further studied through a water immersion experiment and explained through the wetting state transition from Cassie state to Wenzel state.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Copyright to this article belongs to M/s. American Institute of Physics
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Fluorinated ethylene propylene films;Superhydrophobicity;Ar+O2 plasma etching process;Nano-protrusion morphology
Subjects:	AERONAUTICS > Aeronautics (General) GENERAL > General
Depositing User:	Dr. Harish C. Barshilia
Date Deposited:	15 Jan 2014 05:35
Last Modified:	16 Jun 2015 07:42
URI:	http://nal-ir.nal.res.in/id/eprint/11833

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