Surface inspired by beetles of the Namib Desert
A superwettable surface inspired by Namib Desert beetles and lichen has provided outstanding ability in controlling droplets and great potential for the development of functional surfaces.
In a new work, a superwettable surface including polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based superhydrophobic (SPO) area and paper-based superhydrophilic (SPI) sites is prepared by laser-etched without special chemical modification, which is simply, pattern controllable and environmentally friendly.
Superwettable surfaces
On SPO area, the water contact angle (WCA) is 151.3° and water sliding angle (WSA) is 4°, while the WCA of SPI site is almost 0°. Therefore, droplets are repelled by SPO area and tightly locked in SPI sites without spilling. The work provides inspiration for simple manufacturing of flexible superwettable patterned surfaces.
The study has been pubisched in Progress in Organic Coatings, Volume 170, September 2022.
