Abstract:
PDMS templates were prepared by replica molding against fresh lotus leaves. Then lowdensity polyethylene (LDPE) was melted and pressed onto the featured surface of the PDMS template in a vacuum oven. After cooling to room temperature and being peeled off from the templates, polyethylene films with superhydrophobic surface were created. FESEM imaging shows that the superhydrophobic surface is consist of slim and high micro-papillas (about 30 μm). The contact angle is 154°±3.5° and the water drops can easily skip down. While surface of LDPE films micromolded in general oven possess much lower papillas (8-10 μm) and the contact angle is 137°±2.7°. The height of lower papillas approaches the depth of microholes on PDMS templates demonstrating the higher papillas have been stretched longer from the holes of the template during separating operation.