"Anti-Condensation" Aluminum Superhydrophobic Surface by Smaller Nanostructures.

ABSTRACT: According to classical heterogeneous nucleation theory, the free energy barrier (ΔG_c) of heterogeneous nucleation of vapor condensation ascends dramatically as the substrate nanostructure diameter (R_s) decreases. Based on this idea, we fabricated two types of superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) on an aluminum substrate by different roughening processes and the same fluorization treatment. Water vapor condensation trials by optical microscope and ESEM confirmed that on SHSs with submicron rectangle structures, a typical self-propelled motion of condensates or jumping condensation occurred. However, on SHS with coral-like micro/nano-structures, vapor nucleation occurred tardily, randomly, and sparsely, and the subsequent condensation preferentially occurred on the nuclei f

SUBMITTER: Li K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9086191 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature