Influence of intrinsic hydrophobicity and surface structuration

International audienceIn this study, various alkyl 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene derivatives (methyl to dodecyl) were used as monomers for the electrodeposition of conducting polymer fi lms from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic. For a deposition charge of 100 mC/cm2, the study of their surface wettability reveals that superhydrophobic properties with relatively low sliding angles and hysteresis are produced from hexyl chains. The infl uence of the intrinsic hydrophobicity and the surface structuration is determined by producing smooth surfaces for each polymer by reducing the deposition charge to 0*5 mC/cm2. This study reveals that the superhydrophobic fi lms are produced from intrinsically hydrophobic polymers, while it is also possible to produce hydrophobic fi lms from hydrophilic polymers. In this article, the influence of the alkyl chain length on the surface structuration (nanoporosity and microstructures) is also discussed