Enhancing the Effect of the Nanofiber Network Structure on Thermoresponsive Wettability Switching

This letter reports the enhancing effects of a nanofiber network structure on stimuli-responsive wettability switching. Thermoresponsive coatings composed of nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning from thermoresponsive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm). The nanofiber coatings showed a large amplitude of thermoresponsive change in the wettability from hydrophilic to hydrophobic states compared to a smooth cast film. In particular, the combination of the surface chemistry and unique topology of the electrospun nanofiber coatings enables a transition from the Wenzel state to the metastable Cassie-Baxter state with an increase in temperature and consequently an enhanced amplitude of change in the water contact angles: the apparent contact angle differences between 25 and 50 degrees C are Delta theta(25-50 degrees C)* = 108 and 10 degrees for the nanofiber coatings with a diameter of 830 nm and a smooth cast film, respectively. The fabrication of the 3D nanofiber network structure by electrospinning from stimuli-responsive materials is a promising option for highly responsive surfaces in wettability.