Superhydrophobic/superoleophilic magnetic elastomers by laser ablation

Year: 2015

Authors: Milionis A., Fragouli D., Brandi F., Liakos I., Barroso S., Ruffilli R., Athanassiou A.

Autors Affiliation: Smart Materials-Nanophysics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy; Nanochemistry, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT), Via Morego 30, Genova, 16163, Italy; Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, Via G. Moruzzi 1, Pisa, 56124, Italy; Centre DÉlaboration de Matériaux et DEtudes Structurales, 29Rue Jeanne Marvig, Toulouse, 31055, France; Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Virginia, 122 Engineers Way, Charlottesville, VA 22904, United States

Abstract: We report the development of magnetic nanocomposite sheets with superhydrophobic and supeoleophilic surfaces generated by laser ablation. Polydimethylsiloxane elastomer free-standing films, loaded homogeneously with 2% wt. carbon coated iron nanoparticles, were ablated by UV (248 nm), nanosecond laser pulses. The laser irradiation induces chemical and structural changes (both in micro- and nano-scale) to the surfaces of the nanocomposites rendering them superhydrophobic. The use of nanoparticles increases the UV light absorption efficiency of the nanocomposite samples, and thus facilitates the ablation process, since the number of pulses and the laser fluence required are greatly reduced compared to the bare polymer. Additionally the magnetic nanoparticles enhance significantly the superhydrophobic and oleophilic properties of the PDMS sheets, and provide to PDMS magnetic properties making possible its actuation by a weak external magnetic field. These nanocomposite elastomers can be considered for applications requiring magnetic MEMS for the controlled separation of liquids. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Journal/Review: APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE

Volume: 351      Pages from: 74  to: 82

KeyWords: Magnetic films; Laser ablation; Superhydrophobic; Superoleophilic; Magnetic nanoparticles
DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2015.05.087

Citations: 20
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