Formation of Nanoporous Polycarbonate Surfaces and Their Chemical Modification for Superhydrophobicity

In conclusion, superhydrophobic surfaces were fabricated by dipping PC plates into CH2Cl2 and then coating them through sublimation of TCMS. Because CH2Cl2 is a good solvent for dissolving PC plates, the dipping time was very short. Because the nanoporous structure of the PC surface is very labile in organic solvents, we used sublimation of TCMS to coat the surface with low-surface-energy material. After the CH2Cl2 treatment, the nanoporous PC plate was successfully coated with TCMS vapor with no deformation of its nanoporous surface structure. The PC plate modified with TCMS had a water contact angle as high as 161 .deg, demonstrating its excellent superhydrophobicity. The technique described here can be applied to the creation of super-hydrophobic nanoporous surfaces on substrates that are labile in organic solvents