Quantum vacuum photon-modes and superhydrophobicity

Abstract

Nanostructures are commonly used for developing superhydrophobic surfaces. However, available wetting theoretical models ignore the effect of vacuum photon-modes alteration on van der Waals forces and thus on hydrophobicity. Using first-principle calculations, we show that superhydrophibicity of nanostructured surfaces is dramatically enhanced by vacuum photon-modes tuning. As a case study, wetting contact angles of a water droplet above a polyethylene nanostructured surface are obtained from the interaction potential energy calculated as function of the droplet-surface separation distance. This new approach could pave the way for the design of novel superhydrophobic coatings.

5 pages, 4 figures, final version published in Physical Review Letters

References in corpus (6)

• Influence of surface roughness on superhydrophobicity
• The Casimir effect within scattering theory
• Casimir-Lifshitz Theory and Metamaterials
• Casimir interaction of dielectric gratings
• Modal Approach to Casimir Forces in Periodic Structures
• A two-in-one superhydrophobic and anti-reflective nanodevice in the grey cicada $\text{Cicada orni}$ (Hemiptera)