The Direct Cause of Amplified Wettability: Roughness or Surface Chemistry?
Higher contact angles or amplified wettability observed on surfaces of rough solid materials are typically expressed as a function of a physical dimension (roughness factor). Herein, we present a simple experimental approach that demonstrates that roughness may only magnify the inherent surface chem...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Journal of Composites Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-477X/5/8/213 |
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| author | Emmanuel E. Ubuo Inimfon A. Udoetok Andrew T. Tyowua Ifiok O. Ekwere Hamza S. Al-Shehri |
| author_facet | Emmanuel E. Ubuo Inimfon A. Udoetok Andrew T. Tyowua Ifiok O. Ekwere Hamza S. Al-Shehri |
| author_sort | Emmanuel E. Ubuo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Higher contact angles or amplified wettability observed on surfaces of rough solid materials are typically expressed as a function of a physical dimension (roughness factor). Herein, we present a simple experimental approach that demonstrates that roughness may only magnify the inherent surface chemistry that seems to have direct influence on surface wettability. We investigate gradual change in surface chemistry (hydrophobisation) of rough and smooth glass surfaces, from a very low concentration (10<sup>−7</sup> M) of dichlorodimethylsilane, DCDMS through various intermediate hydrophilic/hydrophobic states to when the surfaces are maximally hydrophobised with DCDMS at 0.1 M. The wettability of the modified glasses was studied by water contact angle measurements using drop shape analysis system (DSA). The data obtained indicate a deviation from Wenzel model, with the functionalized rough glass surfaces showing higher reactivity towards DCDMS when compared to the smooth glass surfaces, indicating that the two surfaces are not chemically identical. Our study reveals that just like transforming a solid material to powder, a well-divided glass (rough) surface may not only exhibit a greater surface area than the smooth counterpart as rightly predicted by the Wenzel model, but seems to be bloated with functional groups (–OH or –CH<sub>3</sub>) that can amplify surface interaction when such functional species dominate the solid surface. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:42:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a4dcb6f518884beebd05c3843d36ee3e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2504-477X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:42:10Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Composites Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-a4dcb6f518884beebd05c3843d36ee3e2023-11-22T08:13:29ZengMDPI AGJournal of Composites Science2504-477X2021-08-015821310.3390/jcs5080213The Direct Cause of Amplified Wettability: Roughness or Surface Chemistry?Emmanuel E. Ubuo0Inimfon A. Udoetok1Andrew T. Tyowua2Ifiok O. Ekwere3Hamza S. Al-Shehri4Department of Chemistry, Akwa Ibom State University, Mkpat Enin, Akwa Ibom State, NigeriaDepartment of Chemistry, Akwa Ibom State University, Mkpat Enin, Akwa Ibom State, NigeriaDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UKDepartment of Chemistry, Akwa Ibom State University, Mkpat Enin, Akwa Ibom State, NigeriaDepartment of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UKHigher contact angles or amplified wettability observed on surfaces of rough solid materials are typically expressed as a function of a physical dimension (roughness factor). Herein, we present a simple experimental approach that demonstrates that roughness may only magnify the inherent surface chemistry that seems to have direct influence on surface wettability. We investigate gradual change in surface chemistry (hydrophobisation) of rough and smooth glass surfaces, from a very low concentration (10<sup>−7</sup> M) of dichlorodimethylsilane, DCDMS through various intermediate hydrophilic/hydrophobic states to when the surfaces are maximally hydrophobised with DCDMS at 0.1 M. The wettability of the modified glasses was studied by water contact angle measurements using drop shape analysis system (DSA). The data obtained indicate a deviation from Wenzel model, with the functionalized rough glass surfaces showing higher reactivity towards DCDMS when compared to the smooth glass surfaces, indicating that the two surfaces are not chemically identical. Our study reveals that just like transforming a solid material to powder, a well-divided glass (rough) surface may not only exhibit a greater surface area than the smooth counterpart as rightly predicted by the Wenzel model, but seems to be bloated with functional groups (–OH or –CH<sub>3</sub>) that can amplify surface interaction when such functional species dominate the solid surface.https://www.mdpi.com/2504-477X/5/8/213amplified wettabilityfunctional groupshydrophobisationroughnesssurface chemistry |
| spellingShingle | Emmanuel E. Ubuo Inimfon A. Udoetok Andrew T. Tyowua Ifiok O. Ekwere Hamza S. Al-Shehri The Direct Cause of Amplified Wettability: Roughness or Surface Chemistry? Journal of Composites Science amplified wettability functional groups hydrophobisation roughness surface chemistry |
| title | The Direct Cause of Amplified Wettability: Roughness or Surface Chemistry? |
| title_full | The Direct Cause of Amplified Wettability: Roughness or Surface Chemistry? |
| title_fullStr | The Direct Cause of Amplified Wettability: Roughness or Surface Chemistry? |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Direct Cause of Amplified Wettability: Roughness or Surface Chemistry? |
| title_short | The Direct Cause of Amplified Wettability: Roughness or Surface Chemistry? |
| title_sort | direct cause of amplified wettability roughness or surface chemistry |
| topic | amplified wettability functional groups hydrophobisation roughness surface chemistry |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2504-477X/5/8/213 |
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