title: Electrowetting control of Cassie-to-Wenzel transitions in superhydrophobic carbon nanotube-based nanocomposites.
abstract: The possibility of effective control of the wetting properties of a nanostructured surface consisting of arrays of amorphous carbon nanoparticles capped on carbon nanotubes using the electrowetting technique is demonstrated. By analyzing the electrowetting curves with an equivalent circuit model of the solid/liquid interface, the long-standing problem of control and monitoring of the transition between the "slippy" Cassie state and the "sticky" Wenzel states is resolved. The unique structural properties of the custom-designed nanocomposites with precisely tailored surface energy without using any commonly utilized low-surface-energy (e.g., polymer) conformal coatings enable easy identification of the occurrence of such transition from the optical contrast on the nanostructured surfaces. This approach to precise control of the wetting mode transitions is generic and has an outstanding potential to enable the stable superhydrophobic capability of nanostructured surfaces for numerous applications, such as low-friction microfluidics and self-cleaning.
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798 Singapore.
authors.forename: Zhaojun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Bengkang
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: Cherming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Maziar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shakerzadeh
authors.forename: Kostya Ken
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ostrikov
mesh_terms: D004563:Electrochemistry; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013997:Time Factors; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon