Regulation of hydrophobicity on yttria stabilized zirconia surface by femtosecond laser

Superhydrophobic surfaces have received extensive attention owing to their excellent properties. In this study, yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) surfaces with micro-nano composite structures were prepared by one-step laser texturing. Laser texturing greatly improved the hydrophobicity of YSZ surface. Contact angle of the surface increased from 86.7° to 151.8°, indicating the transition from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic surface. Surface chemical analysis indicated that the enhancement of surface hydrophobicity can be attributed to the decrease in surface polarity, caused by changes in the ratio of chemical components adsorbed from the air and the formation of micro-nano composite structures. Laser texturing effectively regulated the hydrophobicity of YSZ surface, thereby providing promising strategy for corrosion resistance research of thermal barrier coatings.