Relationship between work of adhesion and contact angle hysteresis on superhydrophobic surfaces

Low contact angle hysteresis is an important characteristic of superhydrophobic surfaces for nonstick applications involving the exposure of these surfaces to water or dust particles. In this article, a relationship is derived between the surface work of adhesion and the dynamic contact angle hysteresis, and the resulting predictions are compared with experimental data. Superhydrophobic surfaces with different contact angles and contact angle hysteresis were prepared by generating silicon pillars with varying pillar size and pitch. Surfaces were subsequently treated with fluoroalkyl silanes to modify further the hydrophobicity. The three-phase contact line established for such systems was related to the Laplace pressure needed to maintain a stable superhydrophobic state.