Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces on interconnected Cu(OH)2nanowires via solution-immersion

Superhydrophobic surfaces with a contact angle of about 160° and a tilt angle lower than 4° were fabricated on copper plates via a simple solution-immersion step. Interconnected Cu(OH)2 nanowires were constructed on the copper surface by immersing copper plates in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and potassium persulfate, and the resulting copper plates exhibited excellent superhydrophilic properties. The copper plates changed their wettability from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity after further chemical modification with dodecanoic acid. The results of this study may pave a new pathway to the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces on engineering metals.