Surface Reconstruction of Fluoropolymers in Liquid Media.

Surface reconstruction is the rearrangement of atoms or molecules at an interface in response to a stimulus, driven by lowering the overall free energy of the system. Perfluoroalkyl acrylate polymers with short side chains undergo reconstruction at room temperature when exposed to water. Here, we use contact angle aging to examine the liquid- and temperature- dependency of surface reconstruction of plasma polymerized perfluoroalkyl acrylates.

A polymer coating which is sticky yet repulsive to water and slippery yet attractive for oils.

A one-step process has been developed to produce a polymer coating which is hydrophobic and oleophilic, but which oil slides off and water adheres to at all tilt angles - including when vertically inclined or inverted. The polymer is transparent, and the plasma coating process is independent of substrate composition and geometry.