Enhanced wettability performance of ultrathin ZnO nanotubes by coupling morphology and size effects

In this work, we report on the detailed characterization and mechanism analysis of the improved wettability performance of a new type of ZnO nanostructure, the ultrathin ZnO nanotube, whose growth is induced by screw-dislocation. The newly discovered enhanced wettability properties are suggested to be caused by coupling the morphology and size effects of the nanostructured surface. These ultrathin nanotubes with low density and small dimension form a wet-hair-like hierarchical morphology, which shows a further improved superhydrophobic property with an 8.6 ± 1.6° larger contact angle than that of ZnO nanorods due to the morphology effect. In addition, owing to the large surface to volume ratio and increased effective UV-irradiated area of the ultrathin tubular structure, the ZnO nanotubes exhibit ∼5 times faster superhydrophobicity to superhydrophilicity conversion speed than nanorods under 254 nm UV illumination. Furthermore, UV light with a wavelength of 254 nm exhibits ∼40 times faster wettability conversion speed for nanotubes than that of 365 nm, which is suggested to be a result of the band gap shift at the nanoscale. The combined advantages of enhanced superhydrophobicity, improved sensitivity, and faster conversion speed by coupling morphology and size effects of these ZnO nanotubes should give them broad applications in self-cleaning surfaces and wettability switches.