Non-destructive production of natural environment-adaptive super-hydrophobic hierarchical ceramic surface on a steel substrate

A super-hydrophobic ceramic surface with excellent adaptability to the natural environment was developed on a metal substrate through a facile electrophoretic deposition approach. Alumina, as a demonstrating low cost ceramic material, was electrophoretically deposited on a steel surface to form a hierarchical surface structure. After the treatment with stearic acid, the as-fabricated surface exhibits a high water contact angle and very low sliding angle, revealing a super hydrophobicity. Furthermore, the surface can maintain the super hydrophobicity with liquids of different pH values, performing good natural environment adaptability.