TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The super hydrophilic-super hydrophobic coating: is over at least a portion of surfaces defining the tunnels and at least a portion of surfaces defining the channels; or is over at least a portion of surfaces defining the channels, where the coating includes a material having substituted silicon compounds of formula (M-O-SiR); and includes a super hydrophilic component comprising a metal oxide or a super hydrophobic component comprising a substituted silicon moiety of formula (Si-R). The hydrophilic coating comprises a metal oxide, preferably titanium oxide. The hydrophobic material comprises a hydrophobic alkyl group, preferably n-octadecylsilane. The reaction product of the hydrophilic material and the hydrophobic material comprises a material having substituted siloxane compounds of formula (Ti-O-Si-R). The fuel cell bipolar plate comprises a stainless steel substrate or surface coated with gold.R = hydrophobic alkyl; andM = metal, preferably Ti.Preferred Method: The method (I) further comprises exposing a portion of the hydrophobic component to UV radiation to regenerate the hydrophilic material. The fuel cell bipolar plate is further exposed to air plasma to enhance wetting prior to depositing the hydrophilic layer. The hydrophilic layer is deposited by at least one of dipping, spraying or brushing an aqueous hydrophilic solution on to the fuel cell bipolar plate. The step of reacting of n-octadecylsilane with the hydrophilic layer comprises: dipping the bipolar plate with the hydrophilic layer in n-octadecylsilane in a solvent (0.1-10 wt.%) on it; and drying the fuel cell bipolar plate to produce the super hydrophobic portion. The step of oxidizing and removing the hydrophobic silylhydride layer comprises exposing the silylhydride layer to UV radiation or to open air plasma. The UV radiation has different intensity across the plate surface area so that a surface with a gradient in hyrdrophilicity is created, where the hydrophilicity varies over the hydrophilic layer.