Hydrophobic/hydrophilic switching on zinc oxide micro-textured surface

Highlights: ► Surface coverage less than 40% leads to hydrophobicity: theoretical and experimental approaches. ► Reversible wettability of zinc oxide microrods coated surface with ultraviolet and infrared irradiation. ► Potential application in designing surfaces with controlled wettability. - Abstract: Switchable wettability of zinc oxide (ZnO) microrod coated surfaces was controlled in two different ways: (1) by physical geometry (surface coverage area SA: the area covered by solid) and (2) by irradiation with ultraviolet (UV) light followed by infrared (IR) or furnace heating. In the first approach, the threshold coverage area for achieving hydrophobic surfaces was found to be <40%, which is in good agreement with predicted values in the literature leading to a metastable Cassie–Baxter regime. The transformation of hydrophobic to hydrophilic surfaces was studied by alternating cycles of 3 h exposure to ultraviolet (λpeak ∼ 253 nm) light followed by 1 h of annealing or IR irradiation alone. Three different annealing temperatures (120 °C, 200 °C and 250 °C) were utilized. Results of this work can be applied for designing surfaces with controlled wettability.