Super-hydrophobic hierarchical structures, method of forming them and medical devices incorporating them

Abstract

Synthetic polymer substrates comprising a hierarchical surface structure of multiple domes and multiple pillars on said domes, wherein said substrate is a synthetic polymer film, said domes have diameters in the range from about 5 μm to about 400 μm, heights in the range from about 2.5 μm and about 500 μm, and said pillars have diameters in the range from about 20 nm to about 5 μm and aspect ratios of from about 2 to about 50, and methods of making and using them.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A synthetic polymer substrate comprising a hierarchical surface structure of multiple domes and multiple pillars on said domes, wherein said substrate is a synthetic polymer film, said domes have diameters in the range from about 5 μm to about 400 μm, heights in the range from about 2.5 μm to about 500 μm, and said pillars have diameters in the range from about 20 nm to about 5 μm and aspect ratios of from about 2 to about 50. 
     
     
         2 . The synthetic polymer substrate of  claim 1 , wherein said synthetic polymer is a thermoplastic polymer. 
     
     
         3 . The synthetic polymer substrate of  claim 1 , wherein said synthetic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polycarbonate and polydioxanone. 
     
     
         4 . The synthetic polymer substrate of  claim 1 , wherein said domes have diameters in the range from about 10 μm to about 40 μm, heights in the range from about 5 μm and about 20 μm, and said pillars have diameters in the range from about 20 nm to about 500 nm and aspect ratios of from about 2 to about 25. 
     
     
         5 . The synthetic polymer substrate of  claim 1 , wherein said domes have diameters in the range from about 50 μm to about 400 μm, heights in the range from about 50 μm and about 100 μm, and said pillars have diameters in the range from about 200 nm to about 3 μm and aspect ratios of from about 2 to about 25. 
     
     
         6 . The synthetic polymer substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the hierarchical structure renders the surface super-hydrophobic, having static water contact angles of at least about 150°. 
     
     
         7 . The synthetic polymer substrate of  claim 6 , wherein the hierarchical structure renders the surface super-hydrophobic, having static water contact angles from about 150° to about 165°. 
     
     
         8 . The synthetic polymer substrate of  claim 1 , wherein the center-to-center distance between said domes is approximately equivalent to the diameters of said domes. 
     
     
         9 . A medical device, comprising a substrate having a synthetic polymer film comprising a hierarchical surface structure of multiple domes and multiple pillars on said domes, wherein said synthetic polymer film is a thermoplastic polymer film, said domes have diameters in the range from about 5 μm to about 400 μm, heights in the range from about 2.5 μm and about 500 μm, and said pillars have diameters in the range from about 20 nm to about 5 μm and aspect ratios of from about 2 to about 50. 
     
     
         10 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein said domes have diameters in the range from about 10 μm to about 40 μm, heights in the range from about 5 μm and about 20 μm, and said pillars have diameters in the range from about 20 nm to about 500 nm and aspect ratios of from about 2 to about 25. 
     
     
         11 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein said domes have diameters in the range from about 50 μm to about 400 μm, heights in the range from about 50 μm and about 100 μm, and said pillars have diameters in the range from about 200 nm to about 3 μm and aspect ratios of from about 2 to about 25. 
     
     
         12 . The medical device of  claim 9 , wherein the hierarchical structure renders the surface super-hydrophobic, having static water contact angles of at least about 150°. 
     
     
         13 . The medical device of  claim 12 , wherein the hierarchical structure renders the surface super-hydrophobic, having static water contact angles from about 150° to about 165°.