Ultralyophobic oxidized aluminum surfaces exhibiting negligible contact angle hysteresis

Ultralyophobic oxidized aluminum surfaces exhibiting negligible contact angle hysteresis for probe liquids were prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of bis((tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2,-tetrahydrooctyl)-dimethylsiloxy)methylsilane (CF(3)(CF(2))(5)CH(2)CH(2)Si(CH(3))(2)O)(2)SiCH(3)H, (R(F)Si(Me)(2)O)(2)SiMeH). Oxidized aluminum surfaces were prepared by photooxidation/cleaning of sputter-coated aluminum on silicon wafers (Si/Al(Al(2)(O(3)))) using oxygen plasma. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) confirmed that this facile CVD method produces a monolayer with a thickness of 1.1 nm on the Si/Al(Al(2)(O(3))) surface without a discernible change in surface morphology. After monolayer deposition, the hydrophilic Si/Al(Al(2)(O(3))) surface became both hydrophobic and oleophobic and exhibited essentially no contact angle hysteresis for water and n-hexadecane (advancing/receding contact angles (theta(A)/theta(R)) = 110 degrees/109 degrees and 52 degrees/50 degrees, respectively). Droplets move very easily on this surface and roll off of slightly tilted surfaces, independently of the contact angle (which is a practical definition of ultralyophobic). A conventional fluoroalkylsilane monolayer was also prepared from 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane (CF(3)(CF(2))(7)CH(2)CH(2)Si(OCH(3))(3), R(F)Si(OMe)(3)) for comparison. The theta(A)/theta(R) values for water and n-hexadecane are 121 degrees/106 degrees and 76 degrees/71 degrees, respectively. The larger hysteresis values indicate the "pinning" of probe liquids, even though advancing contact angles are larger than those of the (R(F)Si(Me)(2)O)(2)SiMeH-derived monolayers. The (R(F)Si(Me)(2)O)(2)SiMeH-derived monolayers have excellent hydrolytic stability in water. We propose that the (R(F)Si(Me)(2)O)(2)SiMeH-derived monolayers are flexible and liquidlike and that drops in contact with these surfaces experience very low energy barriers between metastable states, leading to the formation of nonhysteretic ultralyophobic surfaces.