Controlled water adhesion and electrowetting of conducting hydrophobic graphene/carbon nanotubes composite films on engineering materials

• DOI: 10.1039/c2ta00344a
• Publication Date: 2012-11-12T12:30:52Z
• Authors: Jibin Pu; Shanhong Wan; Zhibin Lu; Guang-an Zhang; Liping Wang; Xiaoqian Zhang; QunJi Xue
• Keywords: Lotus effect

Based on the microbumps of graphene nanosheets and nanostructure carbon nanotubes (CNTs), novel graphene/CNTs composite films with hierarchical micro- nanoscale surface roughness were successfully fabricated by simply spraying mixed acetone dispersion CNTs onto stainless steel substrates. The as-prepared exhibited controlled hydrophobic, adhesive electrowetting properties via altering film structure energy. Among them a 1 : 5 mass ratio to showed high hydrophobicity conductivity, low water adhesion contact angle sensitivity external electric field, which would help resolve electrostatic problems unstable under applied potential that exist in many conventional insulating hydrophobic materials, could be useful some application fields.