Facile fabrication of superhydrophobic Cu(OH)2 nanorod and CuO nanosheet arrays on copper surface

Cu(OH)2 nanorod and CuO nanosheet arrays have been successfully grown on the copper surfaces by a simple one-step solution-immersion process at ambient temperature and pressure. After the chemical modification with 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-Perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane, the wettability of the copper substrate changed from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Meanwhile, the sliding angle of the superhydrophobic surface is less than 5 degrees. It is confirmed that both the synergic effect of the surface morphology and the surface free energy contribute to this unique surface water repellence. Furthermore, the as-prepared surfaces were stable even after a long-term storage, and retained good superhydrophobicity for corrosive liquids. Such special superhydrophobic properties will greatly extend the applications of copper in many other important industrial fields.