Hydrophilic/hydrophobic patterned surfaces and methods of making and using the same

A product comprising a substrate, a plurality of molecular chains attached to the substrate, each chain comprising a hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic segment, and a photo-reversible crosslinker.

A product comprising a substrate having a reconstructable hydrophobic/hydrophilic patterned surface comprising a plurality of molecular chains, each chain containing a hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic segment and a photo-reversible crosslinked portion.

A method comprising providing a substrate having a plurality of molecular chains attached thereto, each chain comprising a hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic segment, and a reversible linker, and causing the reversible linker to crosslink adjacent molecular chains.

A method comprising providing a substrate having a plurality of molecular chains attached thereto, each chain comprising a hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic segment, and a photo-reversible crosslinker, exposing the substrate to a charge, and thereafter exposing the molecular chains to ultraviolet light to crosslink adjacent molecular chains.

A method comprising providing a substrate having a plurality of molecular chains, each chain containing a hydrophilic group and a hydrophobic segment and wherein adjacent chains are connected together by a reversible crosslinked portion, and causing the crosslinked adjacent molecular chains to be uncrosslinked by exposing the chains to ultraviolet light.

A method comprising providing a substrate with hydroxyl groups attached thereto, reacting the hydroxyl groups with perfluoro dicarbonyl chloride to provide a chlorinated segment attached to the substrate, reacting the chlorinated segment with an excessive amount of dry hydroquoine to produce attached phenol groups, reacting the phenol groups with cinnamic acid to provide molecular chains attached to the substrate, the molecular chains comprising a fluorocarbon segment, crosslinkable double bonds, and hydrophilic carboxylic acid or salt end groups.

A product comprising a fuel cell bipolar plate comprising a substrate comprising a patterned surface comprising hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions comprising a plurality of molecular chains, each chain containing a hydrophilic group, a hydrophobic segment and a reversible crosslinked portion.

A product comprising a fuel cell bipolar plate having a reactant gas flow field defined therein by at least a plurality of lands and channels, the channel being at least partially defined by a surface, and a virtual microgroove over the surface comprising a plurality of molecular chains each comprising a hydrophilic group and a crosslinked portion.