Fig. 3: Optical reflectance microscopy imaging used to identify plastron stability.
From: Predicting plastron thermodynamic stability for underwater superhydrophobicity
a–i Plastron stability and j corresponding solid–liquid area fraction change as measured using optical reflectance microscopy imaging for Ti-SHS1-Sil (a–c), Ti-SHS2-FS (d–f), Ti-SHS1-FS (g–i). The samples were immersed in water, and the images were captured immediately. Inset images in (a, d, g) represent the apparent CAs measured on the corresponding samples at time 0. k–m Marmur diagrams for the Ti-SHS1-Sil (k), Ti-SHS2-FS (l), and Ti-SHS1-FS (m) samples. The solid–liquid area fraction in (k) is shown for the time zero. Inset in (l) is the 3D reconstruction AFM image of the Ti-SHS2-FS sample. The yellow area in (k–m) covers all configurations of plastron based on the advancing and receding CAs measured on a flat surface and the roughness parameter of the corresponding SHS system. The most stable, advancing, and receding CAs and dimensionless roughness parameter were measured on N = 3 independent samples, while the data represent the measured average value and the s.d. n Mean mussel adhesion strength on Ti-SHS1-Sil, Ti-SHS2-FS, Ti-SHS1-FS, and polyurethane (PU) control samples. The green star indicates that the mussels failed to adhere to the coating surface. The black numbers indicate the number of mussels that adhere to the coating surface. Error bars show s.d.; N = 6. o Mean adult barnacle adhesion to Ti-SHS1-Sil, Ti-SHS2-FS, Ti-SHS1-FS, and PU control samples. The red numbers indicate the barnacle shell and/or base plate broke during the test and remained on the coating surface, indicating a coating failure. The black number indicates that the barnacles adhere to the coating surface. Error bars show s.d.; N = 6.
