Fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces by a Pt nanowire array on Ti/Si substrates

Superhydrophobic surfaces were prepared on Ti/Si substrates via the fabrication of a platinum (Pt) nanowire array. The Pt nanowire array was obtained by dc electrodeposition of Pt into the pores of an anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) template on the substrate followed by the removal of the template. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) examination demonstrated that all the nanowires have uniform diameter of about 30 nm. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) showed that the structures at both the micrometre scale and nanometre scale bestowed the prerequisite roughness on the surfaces. The chemical surface modification made the Pt nanowire array superhydrophobic. The surface modified Pt nanowire array exhibited superhydrophobicity even in corrosive solutions over a wide pH range, such as acidic or basic solutions. The results demonstrated that the Pt nanowire array will have good potential applications in the preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces.