Tailoring surface wettability through laser speckle patterning
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The hydrophobicity of a material surface is crucial for its self-cleaning, antifouling, and anticorrosion properties. In this paper, an approach for enhancing surface hydrophobicity is presented, in which laser speckle grayscale lithography combined with soft embossing is employed to fabricate microstructures on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). By adjusting the exposure dose and laser speckle size, the surface morphology and, consequently, the wettability of the PDMS showed regular changes. Without any post-treatment, the patterned PDMS exhibited a higher water contact angle (144.2°) than the intrinsic contact angle of PDMS (100.6°). This approach offers a simple and cost-effective route for enhancing the hydrophobicity of surfaces.
Source: Optics Express
DOI: 10.1364/oe.579049
Authors: Junkun Mao, Bin Xie, Changping Yuan, Kun Wang, Yuxiang Yan, Yifei Ma, Mei Wang, Suotang Jia, Xuyuan Chen, Zhaomin Tong
Institution: University of Science and Technology of China
Language: English
Subfield: Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Field: Materials Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,270
Awards: G3190860310, G3423497444, G648393473
OpenAlex ID: W4416455116