Superhydrophobic surfaces by laser ablation of rare-earth oxide ceramics

Robust superhydrophobic surfaces can improve the performance of various applications. Considerable research has focused on developing superhydrophobic surfaces, but in these studies, superhydrophobicity was attained using polymeric materials, which deteriorate under harsh environments. Recently, it has been shown that rare-earth oxide ceramics are hydrophobic and since they are ceramics, they withstand harsh environments including high temperature. Here we fabricate a superhydrophobic surface by texturing a ceria pellet using laser ablation. We demonstrate water repellency by showing an impinging water droplet bouncing off the surface. This study extends the possibility of producing robust superhydrophobic ceramics using accessible techniques for industrial applications.