Co-use of laser texturing and graphene synthesis

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of wettability on combined textured surfaces (laser texturing): textured copper and graphene (Cu/G) synthesized on copper. For the first time the combined effect of various textures after laser texturing and graphene synthesis on corrosion current and wettability before and after corrosion is investigated. Previous research works have shown that the surface wettability after laser texturing varies greatly over time, from superhydrophilic to highly hydrophobic. However, the present work shows that the combined effect of laser texturing and graphene synthesis allows stabilizing the wettability of textured samples over time, as well as significantly reducing the impact of corrosion on the contact angle. The droplet contact angle changes slightly over time after corrosion. The smallest change in the contact angle corresponds to the Cu/G surface for textures with craters. At that, the corrosion current of the textured Cu/G sample is reduced 12–14 times, compared with the textured copper. The use of textures with craters provides higher corrosion resistance than in the case of textures without craters. The performed XPS analysis reveals that that the textured wall with craters has a maximum peak C = C (C1s XPS spectra). A new mechanism is proposed to explain the different wettability inversion period for textured copper with graphene synthesis. The wettability of textured surfaces is simulated using molecular dynamics methods. The contact angle of the nanodrop depends on both the textures and the hydrophilicity of the polished surface. The obtained results will be useful for the development of combined methods and composite materials in materials science to control wettability, stabilize surface properties, as well as to counteract aggressive environmental effects.