Changes in the Wettability of Microporous Copper Layers Prepared by Different Modes of Electrodeposition

The architecture of microporous nanostructured copper was surface engineered by an improvised conventional electrodeposition technique enabled with a dynamic hydrogen template over a copper substrate. The dependency of the copper architecture on the electrochemical parameters, the current density, and the deposition time are studied in detail. Single-step electrodeposition resulted in the formation of a fragile microporous nanostructure over the bare copper substrate. Focusing on structural stability, a two-step electrodeposition was carried out to make the copper architecture competitive in an adverse environment. Due to the grain growth in two-step electrodeposition, the structural stability was visibly enhanced, and the microporous nanostructure remained intact. The interaction of the microporous nanostructure with water was evaluated by measuring the contact angle, exhibiting both superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity.