Wettability control by DLC coated nanowire topography

Here we have developed a convenient method to fabricate wettability controllable surfaces that can be applied to various nanostructured surfaces with complex shapes for different industrial needs. Diamond-like carbon (DLC) films were synthesized on titanium substrate with a nanowire structured surface using plasma immersion ion implantation and deposition (PIII&D). The nanostructure of the DLC films was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and found to grow in a rippling layer-by-layer manner. Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the different bonding presented in the DLC films. To determine the wettability of the samples, water contact angles were measured and found to vary in the range of 50°-141°. The results indicated that it was critical to construct a proper surface topography for high hydrophobicity, while suitable I(D)/I(G) and sp²/sp³ ratios of the DLC films had a minor contribution. Superhydrophobicity could be achieved by further CF₄ implantation on suitably structured DLC films and was attributed to the existence of fluorine. In order to maintain the nanostructure during CF₄ implantation, it was favorable to pre-deposit an appropriate carbon content on the nanostructure, as a nanostructure with low carbon content would be deformed during CF₄ implantation due to local accumulation of surface charge and the following discharge resulting from the low conductivity.