Secrets revealed — Spatially selective wetting of plasma-patterned periodic mesoporous organosilica

Abstract

We report a simple method to pattern wetting properties on thin films of periodic mesoporous organosilica (PMO). A hydrophobic methane PMO thin film was covered by masks and exposed to oxygen plasma to make the unmasked area hydrophilic. The wettability patterns could be revealed only when the films were immersed in water or exposed to moisture. We expect that our method would extend the utility of PMO to such areas as sensing and information security.