Single-Step Process for the Deposition of High Water Contact Angle and High Water Sliding Angle Surfaces by Atmospheric Pressure Dielectric Barrier Discharge

Fluorine-free surfaces with high water contact angle (WCA) and high adhesion force to water are prepared by the atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge (AP-DBD) of hexamethyldisiloxane on cold rolled aluminum foil. Water droplets, which remained on the plasma-polymerized hexamethyldisiloxane (ppHMDSO) surface with contact angle of 1550, do not slide even when the surface is tilted vertically or turned upside down. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy and confocal microscopy highlight the importance of the dual-scale roughness of the ppHMDSO surface. The "sticky" high WCA property is achieved only when the nanometer scale particles generated during the AP-DBD process are present at the surface of the film and combine to the micrometer scale rolling lines of the aluminum substrate.