Stable Superhydrophobic Surface via Carbon Nanotubes Coated with a ZnO Thin Film

• Published in: The journal of physical chemistry. B Vol. 109; no. 16; pp. 7746 - 7748
• Main Authors: Huang, L, Lau, S. P, Yang, H. Y, Leong, E. S. P, Yu, S. F, Prawer, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 28.04.2005
• Subjects: Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; Nanotubes, Carbon; Zinc Oxide
• ISSN: 1520-6106; 1520-5207
• DOI: 10.1021/jp046549s

We report the formation of a stable superhydrophobic surface via aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coated with a zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film. The CNT template was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition on an Fe−N catalyst layer. The ZnO film, with a low surface energy, was deposited on the CNT template by the filtered cathodic vacuum arc technique. Contact angle measurement reveals that the surface of the ZnO-coated CNTs is superhydrophobic with water contact angle of 159°. Unlike the uncoated CNTs surface, the ZnO-coated CNTs surface shows no sign of water seepage even after a prolonged period of time. The wettability of the surface can be reversibly changed from superhydrophobicity to hydrophilicity by alternation of ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and dark storage.