Facile Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Cu(OH)₂ Nanorod and CuO Nanosheet Arrays on Copper Surface

Cu(OH)₂ nanorod and CuO nanosheet arrays have been successfully grown on the copper surfaces by a simple one-step solution-immersion process at ambient temperature and pressure. After the chemical modification with 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane, the wettability of the copper substrate changed from superhydrophilic to superhydrophobic. Meanwhile, the sliding angle of the superhydrophobic surface is less than 5°. It is confirmed that both the synergic effect of the surface morphology and the surface free energy contribute to this unique surface water repellence. Furthermore, the as-prepared surfaces were stable even after a long-term storage, and retained good superhydrophobicity for corrosive liquids. Such special superhydrophobic properties will greatly extend the applications of copper in many other important industrial fields.