• Taboryski, Rafael Jozef

Abstract

This dissertation is a synopsis from 15 research papers coauthored by Rafael Taboryski on wetting properties for solid surfaces, and on how to engineer such surfaces by a top-down approach. Examples of fabrication of superhydrophobic, superhydrophilic and superamphiphobic surfaces are shown for various materials from Si, over glass to polymers. In particular, two methods comprising origination in Si and subsequent polymer replication by injection molding or roll-to-roll extrusion coating are demonstrated as scalable fabrication roadmaps of functional surfaces. Further, the author explores the ability of theoretical methods based on a minimization of Gibbs free energy of wetted area to predict measured contact angles under various conditions. It is found that Gibbs free energy approaches has some shortcomings due to pinning effects in real samples, and that additional information gained from Laplace pressure considerations is required to predict the degree of wetting. Hence, this work corroborate a point of view that the most useful information about wettability is gained from Young’s contact angle, i.e. the contact angle measured on flat surfaces from same materials, supplemented with additional detailed information about the surface morphologies. This can be used to predict the degree of pinning effects, although a proven analytical or computer-modelling method is missing.

Topics

• impedance spectroscopy
• surface
• polymer
• extrusion
• glass
• glass
• injection molding