Macroporous fluoropolymeric films templated by silica colloidal assembly: A possible route to super-hydrophobic surfaces

A super-hydrophobic surface was obtained on a three-dimensional (3D) polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) macroporous film. The porous films were fabricated through self-assembled silica colloidal templates. The apparent water contact angle of the surface can be tuned from 1068 to 1538 through altering the sintering temperature and the diameter of the colloidal templates. A composite structure of micro-cavities and nanoholes on the PVDF surface was responsible for the super-hydrophobicity. The wettability of the porous surfaces was described by the use of the Cassie–Baxter model and Wenzel’s equation