Facile fabrication and hydrophobic properties of Cu2O nanowire films on Cu substrates.

Abstract Cu 2 O nanowires have been grown on Cu substrates by electrochemical etching followed with dehydration annealing. The as resulted films show excellent hydrophobic performance without organic surface modification. The contact angles (and slide angles) of the as-resulted Cu 2 O nanowire films grown on Cu mesh, Cu foam, and Cu foil are 168.3 ± 0.09° (slide angle 19°), 171.7 ± 0.28° (slide angle 22°), and 172.8 ± 0.96° (slide angle 2°), respectively. The Cu 2 O nanowire films on Cu foil represent the best hydrophobic activity for copper-based surfaces without any organic modification and additives. The special configurations of the Cu 2 O nanowire films on the Cu substrates and their surface energies both have impacts on the excellent hydrophobic performance. The growth mechanism and the performance-structure relationship of the Cu 2 O nanowire films are also discussed. This study suggests a low-cost and environment friendly method for the preparation of hydrophobic coating material. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • Cu 2 O nanowires have been grown on Cu substrates by electrochemical etching followed with annealing. • The Cu 2 O nanowire on Cu foil present the best hydrophobic activity without any organic additives. • The configurations and surface energies both have impacts on the excellent hydrophobic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]