Hydrophobicity of electron beam modified surface of hydroxyapatite films

•Surface potential of hydroxyapatite films were modified by focused electron beam.•Micron-sized domains of modified surface potential were created.•Wettability and surface free energy of the irradiated areas was studied.•Possible mechanisms of increased surface hydrophobicity are discussed. Arrays of micron-sized domains of modified surface potential were created on hydroxyapatite films by mid-energy (20keV) electron beam irradiation available in a laboratory scanning electron microscope. The dosage of electron beam was varied between 10−3 and 103μC/cm2 to inject charge into the film surface. Contrary to the conventional electrowetting theory, the dosage of injected charge used in creating such microdomains caused a gradual increase of the water contact angle from 57° to 93° due to the elimination of the polar component of the surface free energy. Surface contamination by carbonaceous species can be held only partially responsible for such behavior at lower dosage of electron beam. A transfer of free surface charge to water and an electron beam induced disruption of polar orientation of OH ions have been attributed to be influencial factors in the overall dewetting behavior.