Properties and wettability of the superhydrophobic TiO2 nanotube coating

By anodic oxidation and low-energy modification with lauric acid, superhydrophobic TiO2 nanotube coating formed on the titanium dioxide. The two factors related to the superhydrophobility that roughness and surface energy were proved in the paper. The crystal structure, surface morphology, compositions and wettability were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy disperse spectroscopy (EDS) and contact angle measurements, respectively. Besides, the self-cleaning property and stability were studied. The result showed the coating exhibited superhydrophobicity with the contact angle (CA) 157 +/- 1 degrees and the sliding angle (SA) 3.8 +/- 0.2 degrees. The superhydrophobic TiO2 nanotube coating showed excellent self-cleaning property to fly ashes and the moist soil. Besides, at room temperature and 180 degrees, the stability of the coating was good.