Low bioaccumulative materials for parahygrophobic nanosheets with sticking behaviour

Abstract

Here, we report the formation of surface nanosheets by electropolymerization of original 3,4 propylenedioxythiophene (ProDOT) derivatives bearing both a short perfluorobutyl chain (C4F9) and a branched alkyl chain of various lengths in order to reduce the bioaccumulative potential of the obtained materials. The dimension of the nanosheets is dependent on the size of the branched alkyl chain. These nanostructures display parahygrophobic properties (apparent contact angle θ>θ(Y) for various liquid probes, where θ(Y) is the Young angle of the corresponding smooth surface) with an extremely high liquid adhesion. These properties are due to the presence of nanoporosity between the nanosheets, which favours the Cassie-Baxter state but with high adhesion due to an important contact between the nanosheets and the liquids. These results are extremely important also in a theoretical point of view in the aim to study surfaces with high contact angles and high adhesion. Such materials could also be used in water harvesting systems especially in hot environment.

Keywords: Adhesion; Bioaccumulative potential; Electrochemistry; Hydrophobicity; Nanostructures.