This paper reports a simple, yet effective 1-step surface modification method for stainless steel. Electrochemical etching in dilute Aqua Regia forms hierarchical micro and nanoscale structure on the surface. The surface becomes highly hydrophobic (~150°) as a result of the etching in terms of static contact angle (CA). However the liquid drops easily pinned on the surface because of high contact angle hysteresis (CAH), which is called a “petal effect”. The petal effect occur because of gap between surface microstructures, despite of intrinsic hydrophobicity of the base material. The pore size and period of surface structure can be controlled by applied voltage during the etching. This method can be applied to wide variety of industrial demand for surface modification, while maintaining the advantageous anti-corrosion property of stainless steel.
