Abstract: Inspired by microstructure characteristics of lotus leaves surfaces, the biomimetic hydrophobic Ni coating has been fabricated by brush plating technique. The effect of the plating voltage on the morphology and wettability were studied. The surface morphology, chemical composition, and wettability of the Ni coating were obtain by means of ultra-depth three-dimensional scanning system, scanning electronic microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and water contact angle measurement. The result indicated that the as-prepared Ni coating exhibit typical hierarchical structure, which is similar to the morphology of lotus leaf. The evolution of surface morphology on the as-prepared Ni coating depends strongly on the plating voltage. The combination of the porous morphology and hierarchical structures plays a crucial role in improving the hydrophobic property. In absence of surface chemical modification, the wettability property of the Ni coating was transformed from hydrophilicity to excellent hydrophobicity (water contact angle 146°). The work also illustrated the relationship between the wettability property and the surface morphology by Cassie-Baxier model, which indicate that the biomimetic structure which like lotus leaf endows the Ni coating an excellent wettability property.

Key words: Biomimetic, Electric brush-plating, Wettability, Ni coating