Interfacial materials with special wettability

Abstract

Various life forms in nature display a high level of adaptability to their environments through the use of sophisticated material interfaces. This is exemplified by numerous natural examples, such as the self-cleaning of lotus leaves, the water-walking abilities of water striders and spiders, the ultra-slipperiness of pitcher plants, the directional liquid adhesion of butterfly wings, and the water collection capabilities of beetles, spider webs and cacti. The versatile interactions of these natural surfaces with fluids, or special wettability, are enabled by their unique micro/nanoscale surface structures and intrinsic material properties. Many of these biological designs and principles have inspired new classes of functional interfacial materials, which have remarkable potential to solve some of the engineering challenges for industrial and biomedical applications. In this article, we provide a snapshot of the recent state-of-the-art development of biologically inspired materials with extreme fluid repellency and their potential applications in high/low temperature environments, as well as discuss some promising future directions in the field.