Durable and Flexible Superhydrophobic Materials: Abrasion/Scratching/Slicing/Droplet Impacting/Bending/Twisting-Tolerant Composite with Porcupinefish-Like Structure

Durable Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Self-Generated Wenzel Sites for Efficient Fog Collection

Harvesting freshwater from fog is one of the possible solutions to the global water scarcity crisis. Surfaces with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions are extensively employed for this purpose. Nevertheless, the longevity of these surfaces is still constrained by their delicate surface structures. The hydrophilic zones may become damaged or contaminated after repeated use, thereby compromising their effectiveness in fog collection. The preparation of generally applicable durable superhydrophobic coatings with self-generated Wenzel sites is reported here for long-term efficient and stable fog collection. The coatings are prepared by depositing the poly(tannic acid) coating as the primer layer on various substrates, self-assembly of trichlorovinylsilane into staggered silicone nanofilaments, and then thiol-ene click reaction with 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecanethiol. The coatings demonstrate remarkable static superhydrophobicity, robust impalement resistance, and stable self-generated Wenzel sites for water droplets. Therefore, the fog collection rate (FCR) of the coatings reaches 2.13 g cm-2 h-1 during 192 h continuous fog collection, which is triple that of bare substrate and outperforms most previous studies. Moreover, the systematic experiments and models have revealed that the key factors for achieving high FCR on superhydrophobic coatings are forming condensed droplets ≈1 mm in critical radius and a Wenzel site proportion of 0.3-0.4.

Microscopic behavior of nano-water droplets on a silica glass surface

Recent advancements in computational science and interfacial measurements have sparked interest in microscopic water droplets and their diverse behaviors. A previous study using nonlinear spectroscopy revealed the heterogeneous wetting phenomenon of silica glass in response to humidity. Building on this premise, we employed high-resolution atomic force microscopy to investigate the wetting dynamics of silica glass surfaces at various humidity levels. Our observations revealed the spontaneous formation of nano-water droplets at a relative humidity of 50%. In contrast to the conventional model, which predicts the spreading of nanodroplets to form a uniform water film, our findings demonstrate the coexistence of nano-water droplets and the liquid film. Moreover, the mobility of the nano-water droplets suggests their potential in inducing the transport of adsorbates on solid surfaces. These results may contribute to the catalytic function of solid materials.

Coupling Curvature and Hydrophobicity: A Counterintuitive Strategy for Efficient Electroreduction of Nitrate into Ammonia

The electrochemical upcycling of nitrate (NO3-) to ammonia (NH3) holds promise for synergizing both wastewater treatment and NH3 synthesis. Efficient stripping of gaseous products (NH3, H2, and N2) from electrocatalysts is crucial for continuous and stable electrochemical reactions. This study evaluated a layered electrocatalyst structure using copper (Cu) dendrites to enable a high curvature and hydrophobicity and achieve a stratified liquid contact at the gas-liquid interface of the electrocatalyst layer. As such, gaseous product desorption or displacement from electrocatalysts was enhanced due to the separation of a wetted reaction zone and a nonwetted zone for gas transfer. Consequently, this electrocatalyst structure yielded a 2.9-fold boost in per-active-site activity compared with that with a low curvature and high hydrophilic counterpart. Moreover, a NH3 Faradaic efficiency of 90.9 ± 2.3% was achieved with nearly 100% NO3- conversion. This high-curvature hydrophobic Cu dendrite was further integrated with a gas-extraction membrane, which demonstrated a comparable NH3 yield from the real reverse osmosis retentate brine.

Durable superhydrophobic surface in wearable sensors: From nature to application

The current generation of wearable sensors often experiences signal interference and external corrosion, leading to device degradation and failure. To address these challenges, the biomimetic superhydrophobic approach has been developed, which offers self-cleaning, low adhesion, corrosion resistance, anti-interference, and other properties. Such surfaces possess hierarchical nanostructures and low surface energy, resulting in a smaller contact area with the skin or external environment. Liquid droplets can even become suspended outside the flexible electronics, reducing the risk of pollution and signal interference, which contributes to the long-term stability of the device in complex environments. Additionally, the coupling of superhydrophobic surfaces and flexible electronics can potentially enhance the device performance due to their large specific surface area and low surface energy. However, the fragility of layered textures in various scenarios and the lack of standardized evaluation and testing methods limit the industrial production of superhydrophobic wearable sensors. This review provides an overview of recent research on superhydrophobic flexible wearable sensors, including the fabrication methodology, evaluation, and specific application targets. The processing, performance, and characteristics of superhydrophobic surfaces are discussed, as well as the working mechanisms and potential challenges of superhydrophobic flexible electronics. Moreover, evaluation strategies for application-oriented superhydrophobic surfaces are presented.

Ultrafast Solid-State Electrochemical Imprinting Utilizing Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Stamps for Static/Dynamic Structural Coloration and Letter Encryption

Micro and nanopatterned surfaces hold potential for various applications, such as wettability control, antibiofouling, and optical components. However, conventional patterning processes are characterized by complexity, high costs, and environmental burdens because of the use of resists. Therefore, this paper proposes facile and ultrafast electrochemical imprinting employing a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) stamp for achieving micro and nanoscale patterning on Si surfaces. The solid-state electrochemical process efficiently generates oxide and hydrated oxide (Si-OH) patterns within several seconds at room temperature in a dry ambient environment. The formed oxide pattern can be employed as an etching mask to prepare diffraction gratings with diverse high-resolution (≈100 nm) patterns utilizing the dry PEM stamp. The resulting oxide pattern on the Si surface exhibits instantaneous structural coloration upon exposure to humid air, attributable to the formation of a water microdroplet array on the oxide pattern. The oxide pattern is successfully applied for dynamic diffraction grating and letter encryption. The proposed solid-state electrochemical oxidation scheme based on a PEM stamp, which eliminates the need for liquid electrolyte and resist, represents a simple and ultrafast process with a time cost of a few seconds, characterized by low processing costs and environmental impact.

Gas diffusion enhanced electrode with ultrathin superhydrophobic macropore structure for acidic CO2 electroreduction

Carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction reaction (CO2RR) offers a promising strategy for the conversion of CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels. CO2RR in acidic electrolytes would have various advantages due to the suppression of carbonate formation. However, its reaction rate is severely limited by the slow CO2 diffusion due to the absence of hydroxide that facilitates the CO2 diffusion in an acidic environment. Here, we design an optimal architecture of a gas diffusion electrode (GDE) employing a copper-based ultrathin superhydrophobic macroporous layer, in which the CO2 diffusion is highly enhanced. This GDE retains its applicability even under mechanical deformation conditions. The CO2RR in acidic electrolytes exhibits a Faradaic efficiency of 87% with a partial current density [Formula: see text] of -1.6 A cm-2 for multicarbon products (C2+), and [Formula: see text] of -0.34 A cm-2 when applying dilute 25% CO2. In a highly acidic environment, C2+ formation occurs via a second order reaction which is controlled by both the catalyst and its hydroxide.

Spontaneous Rising of a Whirling-Swimmer Driven by a Bubble

The wind-dispersed seeds can rotate and fall like small vehicles with the help of the wind to obtain a longer propagation distance. Inspired by this, we propose a novel bubble-driven three-bladed whirling-swimmer (WS) to travel in the fluid as a vehicle. Four types of WSs with blade folding angles (φ) ranging from 10 to 60° were designed, and their swimming performance was evaluated. Regardless of the WS shape, the velocity increases linearly with φ, while the angular frequency exhibits an asymptotic value. Further, both the St and rotational energy of the WS peak at 20° ≤ φ ≤ 30° for different WS shapes as well as the vertical force and the hydrodynamic torque were solved from a proposed mechanics model. This folding angle range is unexpectedly consistent with the coning angle during maple samaras' stable falling. The WS lift and drag forces greatly depend on the interaction between the leading-edge vortex and the hub vortex. The results showed that the WS-IV seems to have the highest performance. Our work may shed new light on developing unpowered wireless swimmers of high swimming performance to provide a new way for underwater information collection, information transmission, and enhanced mixing.

Bioinspired Scalable Lubricated Bicontinuous Porous Composites with Self-Recoverability and Exceptional Outdoor Durability

Lubricant-impregnated surfaces (LIS) are promising as efficient liquid-repellent surfaces, which comprise a surface lubricant layer stabilized by base solid structures. However, the lubricant layer is susceptible to depletion upon exposure to degrading stimuli, leading to the loss of functionality. Lubricant depletion becomes even more pronounced in exposed outdoor conditions, restricting LIS to short-term lab-scale applications. Thus, the development of scalable and long-term stable LIS suitable for practical outdoor applications remains challenging. In this work, we designed "Lubricated Bicontinuous porous Composites" (LuBiCs) by infusing a silicone oil lubricant into a bicontinuous porous composite matrix of tetrapod-shaped zinc oxide microfillers and poly(dimethylsiloxane). LuBiCs are prepared in the meter scale by a facile drop-casting inspired wet process. The bicontinuous porous feature of the LuBiCs enables capillarity-driven spontaneous lubricant transport throughout the surface without any external driving force. Consequently, the LuBiCs can regain liquid-repellent function upon lubricant depletion via capillary replenishment from a small, connected lubricant reservoir, making them tolerant to lubricant-degrading stimuli (e.g., rain shower, surface wiping, and shearing). As a proof-of-concept, we show that the large-scale "LuBiC roof" retains slippery behavior even after more than 9 months of outdoor exposure.

Recent advances in prevailing antifogging surfaces: structures, materials, durability, and beyond

In past decades, antifogging surfaces have drawn more and more attention owing to their promising and wide applications such as in aerospace, traffic transportation, optical devices, the food industry, and medical and other fields. Therefore, the potential hazards caused by fogging need to be solved urgently. At present, the up-and-coming antifogging surfaces have been developing swiftly, and can effectively achieve antifogging effects primarily by preventing fog formation and rapid defogging. This review analyzes and summarizes current progress in antifogging surfaces. Firstly, some bionic and typical antifogging structures are described in detail. Then, the antifogging materials explored thus far, mainly focusing on substrates and coatings, are extensively introduced. After that, the solutions for improving the durability of antifogging surfaces are explicitly classified in four aspects. Finally, the remaining big challenges and future development trends of the ascendant antifogging surfaces are also presented.

Understanding hydrodynamic wear in self-similar superhydrophobic coatings subjected to rapid droplet impacts

Superhydrophobic materials rely on both chemical apolarity and surface roughness to achieve the high contact angles and the low roll-off angles that lead to self-cleaning and antibacterial properties. Current superhydrophobic coatings tend to be delicate and lose their properties easily when subjected to droplet impact. Such impact deteriorates these coatings through hydrodynamic wear; changing structure, eroding hydrophobic chemistry, and quickly leading to full wet out of the substrate. In fact, hydrodynamic wear is more detrimental to coatings than seemingly more aggressive mechanical wear including scratching with sandpaper - a common approach used to claim both self-similarity of a material and extreme robustness against wear. What makes certain coatings more robust against hydrodynamic wear? To understand this answer, we systematically study ten disparate self-similar superhydrophobic coating approaches from academia to industry by subjecting them to hydrodynamic wear with rapid droplet impacts. We offer an iteration of a spinning disk methodology that enables parallel testing of multiple coatings simultaneously. We have developed an analytical model that accurately estimates the average size and velocity of droplets created from the spinning disk. We find rapid droplet impacts that simulate a medium rain can deteriorate most coatings within seconds or minutes, with certain exceptions lasting up to 22 days. The more resilient coatings share common attributes including robust apolar chemistry, hierarchal topography, and a slow loss of sacrificial material. The best performing coatings can be characterized using power-law relationships that parallel mechanical fatigue functions and provide a predictive quantitative metric for the performance of hydrophobic coatings. Overall, this paper offers a quantitative approach to hydrodynamic wear of self-similar superhydrophobic coatings.

Bidirectional Underwater Drag Reduction on Bionic Flounder Two-Tier Structural Surfaces

Engineering marvels found throughout the exclusive structural features of biological surfaces have given rise to the progressive development of skin friction drag reduction. However, despite many previous works reporting forward drag reduction where the bio-inspired surface features are aligned with the flow direction, it is still challenging to achieve bidirectional drag reduction for non-morphable surface structures. Inspired by the flounder ctenoid scales characterized by tilted, millimeter-sized oval fins embedded with sub-millimeter spikes, we fabricate a bionic flounder two-tier structural surface (BFTSS) that can remarkably reduce the forward skin friction drag by ηdr = 19%. Even in the backwards direction, where the flow is completely against the tilting direction of surface structures, BFTSS still exhibits a considerable drag reduction of ηdr = 4.2%. Experiments and numerical simulations reveal that this unique bidirectional drag reduction is attributed to synergistic effects of the two-tier structures of BFTSS. The array of oval fins can distort the boundary layer flow and mitigate the viscous shear, whilst the microscale spikes act to promote the flow separation to relieve the pressure gradient in the viscous sublayer. Notably, the pressure gradient relief effect of microscale spikes remains invariant to the flow direction and is responsible for the backward drag reduction as well. The bidirectional drag reduction of BFTSS can be extensively applied in minimizing the energy consumption of ships and underwater vessels, as well as in pipeline transport.

Bio-inspired and metal-derived superwetting surfaces: Function, stability and applications

Due to their exceptional anti-icing, anti-corrosion, and anti-drag qualities, biomimetic metal-derived superwetting surfaces, which are widely employed in the aerospace, automotive, electronic, and biomedical industries, have raised significant concern. However, further applications in other domains have been hampered by the poor mechanical and chemical durability of superwetting metallic surfaces, which can result in metal fatigue and corrosion. The potential for anti-corrosion, anti-contamination, anti-icing, oil/water separation, and oil transportation on surfaces with superwettability has increased in recent years due to the advancement of research in biomimetic superwetting interface theory and practice. Recent developments in functionalized biomimetic metal-derived superwetting surfaces were summarized in this paper. Firstly, a detailed presentation of biomimetic metal-derived superwetting surfaces with unique capabilities was made. The problems with the long-term mechanical and chemical stability of biomimetic metal-derived superwetting surfaces were then examined, along with potential solutions. Finally, in an effort to generate fresh concepts for the study of biomimetic metal-derived superwetting surfaces, the applications of superwetting metallic surfaces in various domains were discussed in depth. The future direction of biomimetic metal-derived superwetting surfaces was also addressed.

Transparent Oil-Water Separating Spiky SiO2 Nanoparticle Supramolecular Polymer Superhydrophobic Coatings

A potential application of spiky SiO₂ nanoparticles (NPs) with tubular and rough surfaces is investigated as superhydrophobic coatings, for their unique transparent, fluorinate-free, and environmentally friendly properties. This study demonstrates a facile method for the successful fabrication of superhydrophobic coatings and SiO₂ @polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) using spiky SiO₂ NPs, N-coordinated boroxines, and PDMS. Combined with spray coating technology, this method of superhydrophobic coating can be simply applied to both hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces, including wood, fabric, glass, metal, sponge, and paper. The nanocomposite coating on the glass surface showed both excellent superhydrophobicity and high transparency, with a contact angle of 165.4 ± 1.0° and 96.93% transmittance at 550 nm, respectively. SiO₂ @PDMS-modified glass substrate is found to be resilient to UV irradiation, water, and high temperature treatments at ambient conditions. Experimental data demonstrated that the simple but effective combination of N-boroxine-PDMS and spiky SiO₂ NPs produces a layered coating material that exhibits many good integrated surface properties, including stability, transparency, superhydrophobicity, and oil-water separation.

Surface Mechanical Properties and Topological Characteristics of Thermoplastic Copolyesters after Precisely Controlled Abrasion

Due to the high probability of surface-to-surface contact of materials during routine applications, surface abrasion remains one of the most challenging factors governing the long-term performance of polymeric materials due to their broad range of tunable mechanical properties, as well as the varied conditions of abrasion (regarding, e.g., rate, load, and contact area). While this concept is empirically mature, a fundamental understanding of mechanical abrasion regarding thermoplastics remains lacking even though polymer abrasion can inadvertently lead to the formation of nano-/microplastics. In the present study, we introduce the concept of precision polymer abrasion (PPA) in conjunction with nanoindentation to elucidate the extent to which controlled wear is experienced by three chemically related thermoplastics under systematically varied abrasion conditions. While depth profiling of one polymer reveals a probe-dependent change in modulus, complementary results from positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy confirm that the polymer density changes measurably, but not appreciably, with depth over the depth range explored. After a single PPA pass, the surface moduli of the polymers noticeably increase, whereas the corresponding increase in hardness is modest. The dependence of wear volume on the number of PPA passes is observed to reach limiting values for two of the thermoplastics, and application of an empirical model to the data yields estimates of these values for all three thermoplastics. These results suggest that the metrics commonly employed to describe the surface abrasion of polymers requires careful consideration of a host of underlying factors.

Functional Microtextured Superhydrophobic Surface with Excellent Anti-Wear Resistance and Friction Reduction Properties

The wear-resistant superhydrophobic (SHB) surfaces with excellent water-repellency ability were prepared by constructing a microtextured armor on an aluminum surface. With the assistance of laser-induced microtextures, the SHB surface could keep a longer water-repellency ability and a lower friction coefficient even after repeated friction tests under different loads and at different speeds. The mechanism of microtexture-protecting SHB coating is revealed based on both theoretical and elemental analysis. Additionally, we explore the relationship between the three-dimensional topography parameters (ISO 25178) and variation of water contact angles under different test recycles. The results show that the rough surface with appropriate S_a and higher S_ku exhibits a better wear resistance, which is mainly related to the storing ability of SHB coating inside the microtextures. Moreover, the surface with appropriate S_tr exhibits excellent wear resistance, which is mainly associated with better chip-removal ability. Finally, the tribological properties of the microtextured SHB surface are researched. It is worth noting that compared with the microtextured surface without SHB coating and the SHB-coated surface without microtextures, the microtextured SHB surface has the lowest friction coefficient under dry friction because the SHB coating would largely decrease the surface energy of the interface, so the adhesion friction decreases. The microtexture armor on the surfaces would protect the wear of SHB coating, so the SHB coating inside the microtexture could continuously play the role of a particle lubricant at the sliding interface and decrease the friction force of the sliding interface. We believe that the present study would contribute to the further understanding of the constructing mechanism of anti-wear SHB surfaces and provide a new strategy for topography design of engineering surfaces with friction reduction properties.

Aqueous construction of raspberry-like ZIF-8 hierarchical structures with enhanced superhydrophobic performance

Materials with super-wetting ability have attracted wide attention from both academia and industry due to their great potential applications. A straightforward and versatile route was proposed for the large-scale synthesis of a monodisperse raspberry-like metal-organic framework (ZIF-8) using zinc nitrate as a zinc source and dimethylimidazole as an organic ligand in aqueous solution. After hydrophobic treatment with hexadecyltrimethoxysilane, the ethanolic suspension of three-dimensional raspberry-like ZIF-8 showed excellent superhydrophobic properties. Furthermore, commercial adhesives were used to blend with the suspension to improve the bonding strength to different substrates. These surfaces retained their water resistance after 50 finger-wipe cycles, 40 sandpaper abrasions and knife scratches. Moreover, the prepared hydrophobic surface can withstand the impact of water flow for 10 minutes. The formulations developed can be used for superhydrophobic coating applications on different substrate surfaces such as aluminum foil, glass, paper and cotton.

A versatile “3M” methodology to obtain superhydrophobic PDMS-based materials for antifouling applications

Fouling, including inorganic, organic, bio-, and composite fouling seriously affects our daily life. To reduce these effects, antifouling strategies including fouling resistance, release, and degrading, have been proposed. Superhydrophobicity, the most widely used characteristic for antifouling that relies on surface wettability, can provide surfaces with antifouling abilities owing to its fouling resistance and/or release effects. PDMS shows valuable and wide applications in many fields, and due to the inherent hydrophobicity, superhydrophobicity can be achieved simply by roughening the surface of pure PDMS or its composites. In this review, we propose a versatile “3M” methodology (materials, methods, and morphologies) to guide the fabrication of superhydrophobic PDMS-based materials for antifouling applications. Regarding materials, pure PDMS, PDMS with nanoparticles, and PDMS with other materials were introduced. The available methods are discussed based on the different materials. Materials based on PDMS with nanoparticles (zero-, one-, two-, and three-dimensional nanoparticles) are discussed systematically as typical examples with different morphologies. Carefully selected materials, methods, and morphologies were reviewed in this paper, which is expected to be a helpful reference for future research on superhydrophobic PDMS-based materials for antifouling applications.

Asymmetrical ring-shaped colloidal particles for self-assembly and superhydrophobic coatings

A frame-guided wetting strategy is reported to synthesize highly uniform but asymmetrical colloidal particles from rings to oblate ellipsoids through symmetrical discs, which can self-assemble into diversified highly open 2D superstructures. In particular, ring-shaped particle monolayers have a higher contact angle of water than similar spherical ones, suggesting an attractive particle material for self-cleaning superhydrophobic coatings.

Evolution of and Disparity among Biomimetic Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Gecko, Petal, and Lotus Effect

It is desirable to turn one kind of superhydrophobic (SHPO) surfaces into another by changing surface topography alone and attaining solid surfaces with tunable properties. Herein, gecko-, petal-, and lotus-like SHPO surfaces, composed of ZnO tetrapods and polydimethylsiloxane, are realized by adjusting the roughness factor and length scale of roughness, while keeping the surface chemistry the same. Afterward, water droplet sliding and impacting are investigated. The surfaces behave similarly in spreading but deviate from each other in sliding, receding, jetting, and rebounding due to their different adhesive properties. Moreover, the disparity between surfaces with petal and lotus effects is well explained by Furmidge's and Young-Dupre equations. On the other hand, these formulas fail to elucidate the surface with gecko effect because of its inside sealed air that produces negative pressure upon droplet motion. This paper provides a facile topography evolution path and a manifest correlation between topography and performance in water droplet dynamics for SHPO surfaces with gecko, petal, and lotus effects.

Non-Fluorinated Flexible Superhydrophobic Surface with Excellent Mechanical Durability and Self-Cleaning Performance

Although plenty of superhydrophobic surfaces have been developed owing to their tremendous potential applications, it is still a great challenge for the superhydrophobic surfaces to possess environmental friendliness, biocompatibility, and mechanical durability simultaneously. Herein, a non-fluorinated flexible superhydrophobic surface was designed by constructing a film-substrate system with labyrinth-like wrinkles combining an intrinsically hydrophobic Zn film and a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrate. Excellent superhydrophobicity with a contact angle up to 168.5° and a slide angle as low as 0° has been achieved on the Zn/PDMS surface, which is attributed to the micro-/nano-textured structures of the labyrinth-like wrinkles, providing sufficient air pockets to form a stable Cassie-Baxter state. Furthermore, the Zn/PDMS surface retains excellent superhydrophobicity under stretching, bending, and twisting mechanical deformation up to 500 cycles due to the stability of the micro-/nano-textured structures of the labyrinth-like wrinkles protected by the fantastic self-healing ability of the micro-cracks. Additionally, the Zn/PDMS superhydrophobic surface possesses an outstanding self-cleaning performance for various contaminants. The present work provides a valuable routine to design non-fluorinated flexible superhydrophobic surfaces with superb mechanical durability and self-cleaning property as promising functional layers for flexible electronics, wearable devices, biomedical engineering, and so forth.

Rheological Properties and Drag Reduction Performance of Puffer Epidermal Mucus

Most species of fish are covered with mucus, which provides the effect of reduction in swimming drag. In this paper, three concentrations of puffer epidermal mucus were obtained from the epidermal mucosa of puffer. The rheological properties and the drag reduction performance of the puffer epidermal mucus were characterized via a rheometer experimental and numerical simulation method. The relationship between the rheological properties and the drag reduction performance was analyzed and discussed, and the drag reduction mechanism of the puffer epidermal mucus was further explored. The results showed that the best drag reduction rate was 6.2% when the inflow velocity and concentration of puffer epidermal mucus were 0.1 m/s and 18.2 g/L, respectively. The rheological properties of puffer epidermal mucus are viscoelastic, and the mucus forms a sliding surface, which reduces the frictional drag of the fluid. In conclusion, this paper may provide a reference for the development of drag-reducing agents and drag-reducing research studies on other fish mucus.

Photopolymerized superhydrophobic hybrid coating enabled by dual-purpose tetrapodal ZnO for liquid/liquid separation

Low-cost and scalable superhydrophobic coating methods provide viable approaches for energy-efficient separation of immiscible liquid/liquid mixtures. A scalable photopolymerization method is developed to functionalize porous substrates with a hybrid coating of tetrapodal ZnO (T-ZnO) and polymethacrylate, which exhibits simultaneous superhydrophobicity and superoleophilicity. Here, T-ZnO serves dual purposes by (i) initiating radical photopolymerization during the fabrication process through a hole-mediated pathway and (ii) providing a hierarchical surface roughness to amplify wettability characteristics and suspend liquid droplets in the metastable Cassie-Baxter regime. Photopolymerization provides a means to finely control the conversion and spatial distribution of the formed polymer, whilst allowing for facile large-area fabrication and potential coating on heat-sensitive substrates. Coated stainless-steel meshes and filter papers with desired superhydrophobic/superoleophilic properties exhibit excellent performance in separating stratified oil/water, oil/ionic-liquid, and water/ionic-liquid mixtures as well as water-in-oil emulsions. The hybrid coating demonstrates desired mechanical robustness and chemical resistance for their long-term application in large-scale energy-efficient separation of immiscible liquid/liquid mixtures.

Preparation strategy and evaluation method of durable superhydrophobic rubber composites

Superhydrophobic rubber composites have broad application prospects in national defense, industrial and agricultural production and daily life due to their special surface wettability. However, its poor durability at present seriously limits its practical application. Microstructure and low surface energy substances are the decisive factors to realize superhydrophobic surface. Therefore, three strategies to improve the durability of superhydrophobic surface were put forward, including improving the mechanical strength of microstructure, enhancing the adhesion between coating and substrate, and constructing self-repairing surface. On this basis, the preparation techniques of durable superhydrophobic rubber composites were summarized, and then the evaluation methods of durability of superhydrophobic rubber composites were introduced in detail from mechanical durability and chemical durability.

Robust and durable liquid-repellent surfaces

This review provides a comprehensive summary of characterization, design, fabrication, and application of robust and durable liquid-repellent surfaces.

Experimental Investigations of the Turbulent Boundary Layer for Biomimetic Protrusive Surfaces Inspired by Pufferfish Skin: Effects of Spinal Density and Diameter

Pufferfish is known for its extension of tiny spine-covered skin that appears to increase skin drag and may act as turbulisors, reducing overall drag while serving a protective function. Therefore, the present study addresses a neglected aspect of how spines affect the turbulent boundary layer (TBL) for drag reduction in the pufferfish skin. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) was utilized to investigate the TBL structure on the biomimetic spine-covered protrusion samples inspired by the back skin of the pufferfish. The comparison samples of two sparse "k-type" arrangements (hexagon and staggered) for three types of rough element sizes with roughness heights k⁺ = 5.5-6.5 (nearly hydraulically smooth) and smooth case in bulk Reynolds numbers (Re_b = 37,129 and 44,554) were tested. The results of turbulence statistics of these samples indicate that both the sample (type hexagon) for large rough density (λ = 0.0215) with small roughness elements and the sample (type staggered) for small rough density (λ = 0.0148) with large roughness elements have a drag reduction rate of 5-11%. These two kinds of bionic surfaces have a similar morphology to that seen in the distribution of pufferfish spines and probably serve a similar hydrodynamic function. Vortex identification shows that the spines in the front section for large density with small rough elements stabilize the TBL and generate many small-scale vortices and the dense spines with large rough elements at the back section have the effect of separating the vortices. The retrograde vortex generated by them is beneficial to increasing the driving force of the pufferfish. In addition, these two rough surfaces may effectively delay the separation of the TBL. These results will provide a preliminary research foundation for the development of a more practical prototype of the bionic drag-reducing surfaces and strengthen the theoretical investigation concerning drag reduction exploration.

Hollow MXene Sphere-Based Flexible E-Skin for Multiplex Tactile Detection

Skin-like electronics that can provide comprehensively tactile sensing is required for applications such as soft robotics, health monitoring, medical treatment, and human-machine interfaces. In particular, the capacity to monitor the contact parameters such as the magnitude, direction, and contact location of external forces is crucial for skin-like tactile sensing devices. Herein, a flexible electronic skin which can measure and discriminate the contact parameters in real time is designed. It is fabricated by integrating the three-dimensional (3D) hollow MXene spheres/Ag NW hybrid nanocomposite-based embedded stretchable electrodes and T-ZnOw/PDMS film-based capacitive pressure sensors. To the best of our knowledge, it is the first stretchable electrode to utilize the 3D hollow MXene spheres with the essential characteristic, which can effectively avoid the drawbacks of stress concentration and shedding of the conductive layer. The strain-resistance module and the pressure-capacitance module show the excellent sensing performance in stability and response time, respectively. Moreover, a 6 × 6 sensor array is used as a demonstration to prove that it can realize the multiplex detection of random external force stimuli without mutual interference, illustrating its potential applications in biomimetic soft wearable devices, object recognition, and robotic manipulation.

Review on the recent development of durable superhydrophobic materials for practical applications

Biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces show great potential in oil-water separation, anti-icing and self-cleaning. However, due to the instability caused by its fragile structure and non-durable superhydrophobicity, it is difficult to apply them in the actual field. Here, by introducing surface wettability and analysing the mechanism of superhydrophobic failure, it is concluded that the reason for the failure of the superhydrophobic surface comes from the transition of the surface energy and the hysteresis of the contact angle (CA). On the basis of this analysis, it is concluded that the principle of designing a durable superhydrophobic surface is to satisfy one of the following three points: improving the binding force between molecules, introducing durable materials and improving chemical durability. On this basis, a variety of preparation methods are proposed, such as assembly method and spray/dip coating method, and the design and preparation of a self-healing surface inspired by nature will also be included in the introduction. Last but not least, the preparation and application of a durable super-hydrophobic surface in oil-water separation, anti-icing and self-cleaning are also introduced in detail. This review reveals the conclusions and prospects of durable superhydrophobic surfaces, and aims to inspire more researchers to invest in this research.

Large-scale fabrication of a durable and self-healing super-hydrophobic coating with high thermal stability and long-term corrosion resistance

Durability is a crucial feature to expand the application field of artificial superhydrophobic coatings. Herein, a kind of durable superhydrophobic coating is prepared by a simple and cheap method using a fluorine-free suspension as the raw material, which consists of epoxy modified silicone resin (MSR), functionalized SiO2, GO, and lamellar mica powder (MP). The MSR@SiO2 + GO + MP coating shows outstanding surface wettability with a water contact angle of 163.8°, a low sliding angle of 3.5° and the microdroplet adhesive force of about 12.6 ± 0.5 μN. Furthermore, it can withstand alternating high and low temperatures, intense UV radiation for 7 days, strong chemical attack, and various mechanical durability tests. In addition, the coating also exhibits a significantly repairable ability to resist O2 plasma etching, and outstanding self-cleaning both in air and oil even after mechanical damage. The mechanism for the influence of the multiple hybridizations on the long-term corrosion stability and thermal-related properties of the superhydrophobic coating is further systematically studied. The simple method and superhydrophobic coating should have good application prospects in large area protection.

Hierarchical Copper with Inherent Hydrophobicity Mitigates Electrode Flooding for High-Rate CO2 Electroreduction to Multicarbon Products

Copper is currently the material with the most promise as catalyst to drive carbon dioxide (CO₂) electroreduction to produce value-added multicarbon (C₂₊) compounds. However, a copper catalyst on a carbon-based gas diffusion layer electrode often has poor stability-especially when performing at high current densities-owing to electrolyte flooding caused by the hydrophobicity decrease of the gas diffusion layer during operation. Here, we report a bioinspired copper catalyst on a gas diffusion layer that mimics the unique hierarchical structuring of Setaria's hydrophobic leaves. This hierarchical copper structure endows the CO₂ reduction electrode with sufficient hydrophobicity to build a robust gas-liquid-solid triple-phase boundary, which can not only trap more CO₂ close to the active copper surface but also effectively resist electrolyte flooding even under high-rate operation. We consequently achieved a high C₂₊ production rate of 255 ± 5.7 mA cm^-2 with a 64 ± 1.4% faradaic efficiency, as well as outstanding operational stability at 300 mA cm^-2 over 45 h in a flow reactor, largely outperforming its wettable copper counterparts.

Multifunctional superhydrophobic adsorbents by mixed-dimensional particles assembly for polymorphic and highly efficient oil-water separation

Supra-wetting materials, especially superhydrophobic absorption materials, as an emerging advanced oil-water separation material have attracted extensive concern in the treatment of oil spillage and industrial oily wastewater. However, it is still a challenge to fabricate robust and multifunctional superhydrophobic materials for the multitasking oil-water separation and fast clean-up of the viscous crude oil by an environment-friendly and scalable method. Herein, a solid-solid phase ball-milling strategy without chemical reagent-free modification was proposed to construct heterogeneous superhydrophobic composites by using waste soot as the solid-phase superhydrophobic modifier. A series of covalent bond restricted soot-graphene (S-GN) or soot-Fe₃O₄ (S-Fe₃O₄) composite materials with a peculiar micro-nano structure are prepared. Through "glue+superhydrophobic particles" method, the prepared soot-based composite particles are facilely loaded on the porous skeleton of the sponge to obtain multifunctional superhydrophobic adsorbents. The reported superhydrophobic adsorbents exhibited robust chemical and mechanical stability, convenient magnetic collection, the high oil absorption capacity of 60-142 g g^-1, durable recyclability (>250 cycles), efficient separation efficiency (>99.5%) and outstanding self-heated performance, which enable them to be competent for oil-water separation in multitasking and complex environment (floating oils, continuous oil collection, oil-in-water emulsion, and viscous oil-spills).

Dip-Coating Approach to Fabricate Durable PDMS/STA/SiO2 Superhydrophobic Polyester Fabrics

The facile, simple, highly efficient, and fluorine-free fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces on fabrics with high durability has attracted considerable attention because of its urgent practical application. The simple dip-coating method was adopted to make a stable and durable polydimethylsiloxane/stearic acid/silica (PDMS/STA/SiO2) superhydrophobic fabric. The fabric’s surface morphology, roughness, and composition were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The PDMS/STA/SiO2-coated fabric: demonstrated strong superhydrophobicity (a water contact angle (WCA) of around 163°), efficiently repelled different liquids (milk, coffee, orange juice, Coca-Cola, and 1 M of HCl and NaOH) with a contact angle above 155°, had excellent self-cleaning performance, and retained superhydrophobicity with a WCA greater than 150° after 72 h of ultraviolet irradiation and 700 cycles of mechanical abrasion. The PDMS/STA/SiO2 coating had few influences on the color fastness of the fabric. Superhydrophobic coatings are expected to be practically applied in the textile industry.

Robust superhydrophobicity: mechanisms and strategies

Superhydrophobic surfaces hold great prospects for extremely diverse applications owing to their water repellence property. The essential feature of superhydrophobicity is micro-/nano-scopic roughness to reserve a large portion of air under a liquid drop. However, the vulnerability of the delicate surface textures significantly impedes the practical applications of superhydrophobic surfaces. Robust superhydrophobicity is a must to meet the rigorous industrial requirements and standards for commercial products. In recent years, major advancements have been made in elucidating the mechanisms of wetting transitions, design strategies and fabrication techniques of superhydrophobicity. This review will first introduce the mechanisms of wetting transitions, including the thermodynamic stability of the Cassie state and its breakdown conditions. Then we highlight the development, current status and future prospects of robust superhydrophobicity, including characterization, design strategies and fabrication techniques. In particular, design strategies, which are classified into passive resistance and active regeneration for the first time, are proposed and discussed extensively.

Directional Transportation of Impacting Droplets on Wettability-Controlled Surfaces

Although a superhydrophobic surface could realize rapid rebounding (i.e., short contact time) of an orthogonal impacting droplet, the rebounding along the original impacting route may limit its engineering application; in contrast, the directional transportation seems to be more promising. Here, we achieve directional transportation of a droplet impacting a wettability-controlled surface. When the droplet eccentrically impacts on the boundary between the superhydrophobic part and the hydrophilic part, it undergoes spreading, retracting, departure, throwing, and breaking up stages, and finally bounces off directionally. The directional transportation distance could even reach more than ten times the droplet size, considered the adhesion length (i.e., covering length on the hydrophilic part by the droplet at the maximum spreading) is optimized. However, there is a critical adhesion length, above which the directional transportation does not occur. To be more generalized, the adhesion length is de-dimensionalized by the maximum spreading radius, and the results show that as the dimensionless adhesion length increases, the transportation distance first increases and then decreases to zero. Under the present impacting conditions, the optimal dimensionless adhesion length corresponding to the maximum transportation distance is near 0.4, and the critical dimensionless adhesion length is about 0.7. These results provide a fundamental understanding of droplet directional transportation and could be useful for related engineering applications.

Engineering and Application Perspectives on Designing an Antimicrobial Surface

Infections, contaminations, and biofouling resulting from micro- and/or macro-organisms remained a prominent threat to the public health, food industry, and aqua-/marine-related applications. Considering environmental and drug resistance concerns as well as insufficient efficacy on biofilms associated with conventional disinfecting reagents, developing an antimicrobial surface potentially improved antimicrobial performance by directly working on the microbes surrounding the surface area. Here we provide an engineering perspective on the logic of choosing materials and strategies for designing antimicrobial surfaces, as well as an application perspective on their potential impacts. In particular, we analyze and discuss requirements and expectations for specific applications and provide insights on potential misconnection between the antimicrobial solution and its targeted applications. Given the high translational barrier for antimicrobial surfaces, future research would benefit from a comprehensive understanding of working mechanisms for potential materials/strategies, and challenges/requirements for a targeted application.

Research on the drag reduction property of puffer (Takifugu flavidus) spinal nonsmooth structure surface

Puffers show good drag reduction performance during migration. It is worth noting that spines which are different from ordinary fish scales are densely distributed on the puffer skin. Here, the special morphological structure of puffer spines was observed using microscopy techniques, accurate contour models were established based on image processing techniques and curve fitting, then feature sizes were obtained. Based on the results, the nonsmooth surface was established by orthogonal test to simulate the flow field. In addition, the influence of spinal structure on boundary layer flow field and the drag reduction property of nonsmooth surface were further analyzed. The nonsmooth surface formed by spinal structure elements can effectively reduce the wall shear stress and Reynolds stress, and there was a special "climbing vortex" phenomenon, so as to reduce the surface viscous friction resistance and achieve drag reduction. Compared with the smooth surface, the drag reduction rate of the nonsmooth surface was 12.94% when the inflow velocity was 5 m/s, which revealed and verified the drag reduction performance of the spines of puffer skin. The results lay a foundation for further research and optimization of drag reduction ability of nonsmooth surface of bionic spines. HIGHLIGHTS: The contour of the spinous process was accurately reflected by the Fourier function. The spines of puffer skin have good drag reduction effect. There was a special "climbing vortex" phenomenon to explain the drag reduction property.