Indexed by:Journal Papers

Date of Publication:2021-01-10

Journal:APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE

Volume:514

ISSN No.:0169-4332

Key Words:Laser processing; Fog collection; Anisotropic adhesion; Liquid transport

Abstract:Superhydrophobic surfaces with hydrophilic patterns are widely used in liquid transport, water collection, and cell screening. However, the preparation process of these patterned surfaces tends to be time-consuming and complicated. Here, we apply a simple, efficient and versatile laser processing method. Superhydrophobic substrates are firstly constructed by laser treatment and fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) solution; then superhydrophilic patterns such as dot-shaped or linear grooves are processed by secondary laser treatment. The dot-shaped grooves have strong adhesive force to droplets, and the linear grooves show obvious anisotropic adhesion behavior. On the basis of these features, applications like liquid transport, droplets grabbing and mixing, and fog collection are successfully achieved. The proposed laser processing method is applicable for various metal substrates including aluminum, copper, steel and titanium, and is expected to have promising application prospects in lab-on-a-chip system and chemical analysis domains.