Wettability of Nanosecond Laser-Induced Titanium Oxide Alloys and Coatings

The superhydrophobic surface of titanium alloys with stable wettability is obtained by fabricating a microtexturc on a titanium (Ti) alloy surface with a nanosecond laser and assisted with chemical treatment, and it exhibits properties similar to the "lotus effect". Adjusting the laser processing parameters enables the production of micro/nanostructures with different surface wettabilities. On this basis, the titanium alloy surface is coated with a mixture of 1H, 1H, 2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrimethoxysilane and ethanol solution. Scanning electron microscopy and energy spectrum analysis show that laser irradiation can induce the formation of multiscale porous Ti oxide microstructures in Ti alloys. The relationship between hydrophilicity of the Ti metal surface and micro/nanostructurc surface change as well as the coating effect on the surface wettability arc further investigated by evaluating the contact angle. This study can pave the road for applications in biomedical drug delivery.