Full text: Unavailable
Based on simulation data we show that the edge graphite atoms of a HOPG surface have remarkable influence on water contact angle values. Compared to graphite basal plane, a water droplet sitting on the edge atoms experiences two effects on wettability, smaller density of surface carbon atoms and the appearance of the Wenzel states. The differences between contact angles recorded for samples containing different amounts of the edge atoms are large, even after carbon surface oxidation. Thus, we report anisotropic wettability of the graphite surface. Moreover, changing the content of edge atoms in the substrate, one can induce switchable hydrophilic/hydrophobic properties of graphite.