Preparation and characterization of large-area superhydrophobic nanostructured carbon films

Large-scale carbon films were prepared using a simple pyrolysis method, on which nanostructured loose pores can be found by SEM observation. The as-prepared carbon films are superhydrophobic after the modification of low-surface-energy material fluoroalkylsilane, with the water contact angle of 162.3° ± 2.1°. XPS measurement indicates that the films were hydrophobilized. It's considered that nanostructures are important to the superhydrophobicity since air exist beneath water and the contact area between water and carbon film decrease. Such superhytrophobic carbon films can be widely applied in many fields.