Patent ID: 8133379

Claim:
A method for producing at least one hydrophilic area ( 1 ) on a substrate ( 2 ) which comprises a chemically inert material ( 3 ) and of which one surface to be treated ( 4 ) is coated with a hydrophobic film, said hydrophobic film comprising fluorinated organic groups, the method comprising performing an electrochemical reduction of the surface to be treated ( 4 ) wherein: the reduction is performed in an electrochemical cell ( 5 ) which is equipped with a reducing electrode ( 6 ) and a counterelectrode, and which contains an electrolytic solution ( 8 ) containing at least one solvent and a compound that is a precursor of a reducing agent, said compound being chosen so as to have a standard potential of less than −2.7 V relative to the saturated calomel electrode (SCE) and said compound corresponding to the general formula P(R 1 R 2 R 3 ), in which at least one of the radicals R 1 , R 2 and R 3 represents a phenyl group bearing from 1 to 3 substituents, said compound being capable of forming an anion radical; the reducing electrode ( 6 ) is placed, relative to the surface ( 4 ) of the substrate, such that said surface ( 4 ) is facing the usable surface ( 7 ) of the electrode ( 6 ), said surface ( 7 ) of the electrode ( 6 ) being the image of the area to be reduced; and the reducing electrode ( 6 ) is subjected to the formation potential of the reducing agent.