From natural lotus leaf to highly hard-flexible diamond-like carbon surface with superhydrophobic and good tribological performance

Fabrication of hard-flexible and superhydrophobic carbon films is considered as a challenging issue for expanding the applications of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films. In this paper, a novel method for fabricating highly hard, flexible and superhydrophobic DLC films with bio-mimicking micro textures...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Surface & coatings technology 2012-01, Vol.206 (8), p.2258-2264
Main Authors: Wang, Ying, Wang, Liping, Wang, Shuncai, Wood, Robert J.K., Xue, Qunji
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bio-mimicking
Carbon
Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science
rheology
Diamond-like carbon films
DLC
Exact sciences and technology
Hard-flexible
Materials science
Nanocomposites
Nanomaterials
Nanostructure
Physics
Superhydrophobic
Surface layer
Surface treatments
Texture
Tribology
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Summary:Fabrication of hard-flexible and superhydrophobic carbon films is considered as a challenging issue for expanding the applications of diamond-like carbon (DLC) films. In this paper, a novel method for fabricating highly hard, flexible and superhydrophobic DLC films with bio-mimicking micro textures using natural lotus leaf as templates is reported. By combining nanocasting, electroplating methods and finally physical vapor deposition, DLC films with “lotus leaf”-like textures were successfully fabricated, which exhibited good balance of high hardness (approximately 21 GPa) and toughness as well as excellent superhydrophobicity with contact angle up to 160°. Furthermore, the as-prepared superhydrophobic DLC films could remain as an effect lubricant layer. Combination of excellent physical and mechanical properties of highly hard, superhydrophobic as well as flexible DLC films with bio-mimicking textures will be beneficial for their potential applications as engineering material. ► DLC films with “lotus leaf”-like textures were fabricated using natural lotus leaf as template. ► The as-prepared DLC film exhibited good balance of high hardness and excellent flexibility. ► The final textured DLC film was improved with excellent superhydrophobicity. ► The final flexible and superhydrophobic DLC films could remain as an effective lubricant layer.
ISSN:0257-8972
1879-3347
DOI:10.1016/j.surfcoat.2011.10.001