Electrochemical synthesis of silver polyhedrons and dendritic films with superhydrophobic surfaces

Single-crystalline Ag dendrites are grown on a Ni/Cu substrate by using a simple templateless, surfactantless electrochemical technique. Controlling only the applied potential causes a change in the deposited silver morphology from polyhedrons to dendrites. Microstructure characterization suggests that preferential growth along the 211 directions by the oriented attachment of Ag nanocrystals leads to the formation of Ag dendrites, which are composed of trunks, branches, and leaves. Modifying as-grown Ag dendritic film with a thickness of about 10 microm with a self-assembled monolayer of n-dodecanethiol yields a superhydrophobic surface with a contact angle of 154.5 +/- 1.0 degrees and a tilt angle lower than 2 degrees.