Superhydrophobic and anti-corrosion Cu microcones/Ni-W alloy coating fabricated by electrochemical approaches

In this work, we present a simple method for fabricating a microstructured Cu/Ni-W alloy coating by combining electroless and electro deposition. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) results show that a layer of Ni-W alloy has covered uniformly the conical surface of Cu microcone arrays, forming a multilayer coating. The Tafel curve shows the prominent anti-corrosion property of the as-deposited Ni-W film. Wettability results reveal that the water contact angles can be increased from 106 degrees to 153.2 degrees by adjusting the electrodeposition time of the Ni-W layer. The liquid-solid-air contact mode between the superhydrophobic Ni-W hemisphere decorated Cu microcone array and the water drop is briefly discussed. This work also showed potential for use in a wide range of applications, such as the commercial production of anti-wetting and anti-corrosion devices.