Transparent superhydrophobic glass prepared by laser-induced plasma-assisted ablation on the surface

The microstructure of a quartz glass surface was processed at a low power density using the picosecond laser-induced plasma-assisted ablation (LIPAA) processing method. A low power density can effectively prevent edge collapse, cracks, and other defects in hard and brittle materials. The surface morphologies of the samples were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and three-dimensional laser scanning microscopy. The surface chemical components of the samples were analyzed using energy-dispersive spectrometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. After processing, the surface exhibited a micro- /submicron multi-scale structure. After 1H, 1H, 2H, 2H-perfluorodecyltriethoxysilane modification, the surface can exhibit superhydrophobic properties such as a contact angle of 153 degrees, sliding angle of 0 degrees, and one-time bounce of water droplets. The transmittance of the superhydrophobic samples to the entire spectrum was maintained at more than 90%. The surface microstructure and superhydrophobic properties could be adjusted by changing the laser scanning speed. At high scanning speeds, the roughness of the sample decreased; therefore, the light transmittance increased gradually, whereas the hydrophobicity decreased gradually. Through the LIPAA method, we realized superhydrophobicity with high transmittance of transparent materials. The LIPAA can potentially be employed for the fast and effective fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces with complex microscale patterns combined with submicron features. [GRAPHICS] .