High-efficient laser-based bionic surface structuring for enhanced surface functionalization and self-cleaning effect

In this work, a laser-based surface functionalization method combining laser surface texturing and silicone oil-assisted heat treatment was developed to fabricate superhydrophobic surface. Two bionic surface patterns, i.e., duck feather pattern and shark skin pattern were designed and fabricated using different laser processing parameters. 3-D digital microscope, scanning electron microscope, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy were utilized to analyze the surface morphology and chemistry of the laser functionalized surface. Self-cleaning test was conducted to compare the dust removal ability between the untreated surface and laser functionalized surface. The rough hierarchical surface structure was induced by laser texturing process, and the heat treatment process with silicone oil led to the formation of low surface energy. With the combined effects of surface structure and chemistry, the fabricated surface exhibits superior superhydrophobicity. Moreover, the laser functionalized superhydrophobic surface exhibits good self-cleaning ability, and highly efficient dust removal process was observed owing to the bouncing removal of water droplets. This work is not only simple and convenient, but also significantly reduces the production cost and enhances time efficiency for fabrication of superhydrophobic surface, and thus shows strong potential for applications in diverse areas.