Superhydrophobic surfaces: From natural to biomimetic to functional

A Simple Method to Create Superhydrophobic Aluminium Surfaces

Superhydrophobic surfaces were prepared using a very simple and low-cost method by spray coating. A high static water contact angle of about 154° was obtained by deposition of stearic acid on an aluminium alloy. However, this coating demonstrated a high contact angle hysteresis (~ 30º). On the other hand, superhydrophobic surfaces with a static contact angle of about 162º and 158º, and a low contact angle hysteresis of about 3º and 5º were respectively obtained by incorporating nanoparticles of SiO2and CaCO3in stearic acid. The excellent resulting hydrophobicity is attributed to the synergistic effects of micro/nanoroughness and low surface energy. A study of the wettability of these surfaces at temperatures ranging from 20 to-10 °C showed that the superhydrophobic surface becomes rather hydrophobic at supercooled temperatures.

Rapid deposition of transparent super-hydrophobic layers on various surfaces using microwave plasma

We report herein on a very fast and simple process for the fabrication of transparent superhydrophobic surfaces by using microwave (MW) plasma. It was found that the reaction of various organic liquids in MW argon plasma yields hydrophobic polymeric layers on a large assortment of surfaces, including glass, polymeric surfaces, ceramics, metals, and even paper. In most cases, these polymers are deposited as a rough layer composed of 10-15 nm nanoparticles (NPs). This roughness, together with the chemical hydrophobic nature of the coated materials, is responsible for the superhydrophobic nature of the surface. The typical reaction time of the coating procedure was 1-10 s. The stability of these superhydrophobic surfaces was examined outdoors, and was found to last 2-5 days under direct exposure to the environment and to last 2 months when the sample was protected by a quartz cover. A detailed characterization study of the chemical composition of the layers followed using XPS, solid-state NMR, and IR measurements. Modifications were introduced in the products leading to a substantial improvement in the stability of the products outdoors.

Solvothermal synthesis of nanoporous polymer chalk for painting superhydrophobic surfaces

Reported here is a facile synthesis of nanoporous polymer chalk for painting superhydrophobic surfaces. Taking this nanoporous polymer as a media, superhydrophobicity is rapidly imparted onto three typical kinds of substrates, including paper, transparent polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and finger skin. Quantitative characterization showed that the adhesion between the water droplet and polymer-coated substrates decreased significantly compared to that on the original surface, further indicating the effective wetting mode transformation. The nanoporous polymer coating would open a new door for facile, rapid, safe, and larger scale fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces on general substrates.

Nanostructure on taro leaves resists fouling by colloids and bacteria under submerged conditions

The antifouling and self-cleaning properties of plants such as Nelumbo nucifera (lotus) and Colocasia esculenta (taro) have been attributed to the superhydrophobicity resulting from the hierarchical surface structure of the leaf and the air trapped between the nanosized epicuticular wax crystals. The reported study showed that the nanostructures on the taro leaf surfaces were also highly resistant to particle and bacterial adhesion under completely wetted conditions. Adhesion force measurements using atomic force microscopy revealed that the adhesion force on top of the papilla as well as the area around it was markedly lower than that on the edge of an epidermal cell. The decreased adhesion force and the resistance to particle and bacterial adhesion were attributed to the dense nanostructures found on the epidermal papilla and the area surrounding it. These results suggest that engineered surfaces with properly designed nanoscale topographic structures could potentially reduce or prevent particle/bacterial fouling under submerged conditions.

Facile fabrication of colored superhydrophobic coatings by spraying a pigment nanoparticle suspension

Superhydrophobic coatings were prepared by spraying a pigment nanoparticle suspension. By changing the type of pigment nanoparticles, the colors of the coating could be controlled. The particle size of the pigments, which determines the surface structure of the coatings, played an important role in exhibiting superhydrophobicity. The spray-coating process is applicable to a variety of materials (e.g., copper, glass, paper, coiled wire, and tied thread), and the superhydrophobicity was repairable.

One-step electrophoretic deposition for the preparation of superhydrophobic silica particle/trimethylsiloxysilicate composite coatings

SiO(2) particle/silicone resin (trimethylsiloxysilicate (TMSS)) composite coatings were prepared by electrophoretic deposition (EPD), and their wettability was examined. SiO(2) coatings prepared by EPD baths without TMSS were hydrophilic, while superhydrophobicity was observed for SiO(2)/TMSS composite coatings. IR spectra and EDS analyses revealed that not only SiO(2) particles but also TMSS electrophoretically moved toward a cathode; as a result, hydrophilic SiO(2) particles turned into superhydrophobic composite coatings by one-step EPD. SEM and AFM images of the superhydrophobic SiO(2)/TMSS composite coatings showed the presence of both nanometer- and micrometer-sized roughness in their surfaces. Particle size of SiO(2) had a great influence on the wettability of the composite coatings. The superhydrophobic SiO(2)/TMSS composite coatings showed excellent water repellency; they repelled running water continuously. In addition, by controlling the amount of deposited SiO(2) particles and TMSS, transparent superhydrophobic SiO(2)/TMSS composite coatings were prepared.

Wetting behavior of oleophobic polymer coatings synthesized from fluorosurfactant-macromers

Architecturally similar monomers were copolymerized with a water-oil discriminate fluorosurfactant to create hydrophilic-oleophobic coatings. Acrylic acid, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and methyl methacrylate were used as comonomers with the fluorosurfactant macromer. The homopolymers of the selected comonomers are water-soluble, water-swellable, and water-insoluble, respectively, thus coupling the surfactant monomer in varying concentration within polymers of varying hydrophilicity. Wetting behavior of water and hexadecane were examined as a function of copolymer composition, thus revealing critical structure-property relationships for the surfactant-based system. Acrylic acid copolymers and hydroxyethyl methacrylate copolymers both exhibited a hexadecane contact angle which exceeded the water contact angle. This condition predicted an ability to "self-clean" oil-based foulants. The most oleophobic of the self-cleaning copolymers had an advancing hexadecane contact angle of 73° and an advancing water contact angle of 40°. It was determined that the advancing and receding water and hexadecane contact angle response varies montonically for each copolymer type as the surface concentration of the surfactant is varied. Comparing between copolymer types revealed large differences in wetting response. Methyl methacrylate copolymers with 2.8 mol % surfactant had advancing water contact angle 82° and advancing hexadecane contact angle 26°, which is neither oleophobic nor self-cleaning. In contrast, acrylic acid copolymers with 3.1 mol % surfactant had advancing water contact angle of 44° and advancing hexadecane contact angle of 52°, creating a self-cleaning coating. Thus, the nature of the comonomer exerts a greater influence than the surfactant content on the wetting behavior and self-cleaning ability of the final coating.

Physicochemical regulation of biofilm formation

This article reviews the physical and chemical constraints of environments on biofilm formation. We provide a perspective on how materials science and engineering can address fundamental questions and unmet technological challenges in this area of microbiology, such as biofilm prevention. Specifically, we discuss three factors that impact the development and organization of bacterial communities. (1) Physical properties of surfaces regulate cell attachment and physiology and affect early stages of biofilm formation. (2) Chemical properties influence the adhesion of cells to surfaces and their development into biofilms and communities. (3) Chemical communication between cells attenuates growth and influences the organization of communities. Mechanisms of spatial and temporal confinement control the dimensions of communities and the diffusion path length for chemical communication between biofilms, which, in turn, influences biofilm phenotypes. Armed with a detailed understanding of biofilm formation, researchers are applying the tools and techniques of materials science and engineering to revolutionize the study and control of bacterial communities growing at interfaces.