Single-step fabrication of bionic-superhydrophobic surface using reciprocating-type high-speed wire cut electrical discharge machining

In this work, bionic-superhydrophobic surfaces on aluminum alloy 5083 are fabricated by reciprocating-type high-speed wire cut electrical discharge machining based on the hydrophobic property of the rice leaf. Sub-millimeter-scale rectangular grooves are processed on the surfaces. The superhydrophobic surface has shown a static contact angle of 158°, which is similar to the rice leaf. The morphological features are characterized by scanning electron microscopy, showing that the craters and bumps are uniformly distributed on the surfaces of the rectangular grooves with porous nanostructures. The method proposed in this work has the advantages of using only one step, requiring no further procedure to lower the surface energy and processing a large-area surface efficiently.