College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering,Qingdao University of Science and Technology,Qingdao 266042,China; 2.Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Ackermannweg 10,D-55128 Mainz,Germany
Large-area helical carbon microcoils were prepared over metal surfaces by the copper-catalyzed pyrolysis of acetylene. The copper catalyst was formed on the metal surface by the electrochemical oxidation of a catalytic precursor (copper tartrate). The coils were characterized by SEM, FT-IR, XPS, and contact angle measurements. It was found that the coils had intrinsic chemical stability and were superhydrophobic over a wide range of pH values from 1 to 14. It is considered that such materials can be used as special interfacial functional materials.