Highly hydrophobic films with various adhesion by electrodeposition of poly(3,4-bis(alkoxy)thiophene)s

If the addition of long fluorinated moieties as surface post-treatment is a general procedure in the elaboration of superhydrophobic properties, one of the key challenges is to develop biomimetic materials from alternative compounds such as hydrocarbon derivatives or short fluorinated tails. In this article, we show the possibility of developing highly hydrophobic surfaces with various adhesive properties by electrodeposition of poly(3,4-bis(alkoxy)thiophene)s containing two octyl, decyl and dodecyl chains and using two different salts (tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate and sodium perchlorate). The surface morphology and wettability of the films are investigated by SEM, profilometry and contact angle measurements. Polymer films are obtained with 3,4-bis(dodecyloxy) thiophene using tetrabutylammonium hexafluorophosphate salt and with the three monomers using sodium perchlorate salt. The surface analyses point out the influence of the alkyl chain length of the monomer as well as the salt on the surface wettability and morphology. The water-repellent properties do not increase linearly with the alkyl chain length due to differences in surface morphology.