(reagentPlus, 99%) were purchased from Aldrich. 1H,1H,2H,2H-Perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane
(PFDTS, 96%) was purchased from Alfa Aesar; n-hexane
(95%) from Fisher Chemical. Toluene, acetone, and ethanol absolute
were provided by VWR Chemicals. Ultrapure water with a resistivity
of 18.2 MΩ·cm was produced using a Sartorius Arium 611
VF water purification system. Glass slides of 26 × 76 mm2 in size were provided by Menzel-Gläser, Germany. Polystyrene
particles (negative charged, with a −COOH group on the surface)
with diameters of 270 nm, 572 nm, and 1.25 μm were prepared
using surfactant-free emulsion polymerization50 (link) and purified by several cycles of centrifugation and redispersion
in ultrapure water.