Artificial Superhydrophobic and Antifungal Surface on Goose Down by Cold Plasma Treatment

Abstract

Plasma treatment, especially cold plasma generated under low pressure, is currently the subject of many studies. An important area using this technique is the deposition of thin layers (films) on the surfaces of different types of materials, e.g., textiles, polymers, metals. In this study, the goose down was coated with a thin layer, in a two-step plasma modification process, to create an artificial superhydrophobic surface similar to that observed on lotus leaves. This layer also exhibited antifungal properties. Two types of precursors for plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) were applied: hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDSO) and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDSN). The changes in the contact angle, surface morphology, chemical structure, and composition in terms of the applied precursors and modification conditions were investigated based on goniometry (CA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance mode (FTIR-ATR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The microbiological analyses were also performed using various fungal strains. The obtained results showed that the surface of the goose down became superhydrophobic after the plasma process, with contact angles as high as 161° ± 2°, and revealed a very high resistance to fungi.