Biomimic superhydrophobic surface with high adhesive forces

Superhydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces that contain microbinary and nanobinary structures with a water contact angle (CA) of > 150 degrees are created by duplicating the microstructures of a rose petal. The resulting surface has the same microstructures and high adhesive property as a rose petal; the water CA of the surface is as high as 154.3 degrees. Interestingly, this surface can hold water droplets through the use of very strong adhesive forces, and the maximum adhesive force is 63.8 mu N. Furthermore, the resulting surface has another important property; it shows superhydrophobic property in a wide range of pH values from 1.07 to 13.76. Therefore, it is believed that the as-prepared surface can be used in the fabrication of chemical engineering materials,. microfluidic devices, and the transportation of a small amount of corrosive liquids.