Mechanically durable liquid-impregnated honeycomb surfaces.

Liquid repellent surfaces typically work by keeping the fouling liquid in a metastable state, with trapped pockets of air between the substrate and the liquid. An alternative method with greater long-term stability utilizes liquid-impregnated surfaces, where the liquid being repelled slides over an immiscible liquid immobilized on a porous surface. Here, we report a method for creating honeycomb surfaces amenable to liquid-impregnation.

Fabrication techniques for bioinspired, mechanically-durable, superliquiphobic surfaces for water, oil, and surfactant repellency.

Nature provides inspiration for liquid-repellant and low-adhesive surfaces, such as the lotus leaf and pitcher plant. While water-repellency is frequently found in nature, oil-repellency and surfactant-repellency are uncommon to nonexistent. To obtain oil- and surfactant-repellency, hierarchical, re-entrant, bioinspired surface structures along with low surface energy materials are needed.

Liquid-impregnated porous polypropylene surfaces for liquid repellency.

Polypropylene is a popular plastic material used in consumer packaging. It would be desirable if such plastic containers were liquid repellent and not so easily fouled by their contents. Superomniphobic surfaces typically work by keeping the fouling liquid in a metastable state, with trapped pockets of air between the substrate and the liquid.

Bioinspired materials for water supply and management: water collection, water purification and separation of water from oil.

Access to a safe supply of water is a human right. However, with growing populations, global warming and contamination due to human activity, it is one that is increasingly under threat. It is hoped that nature can inspire the creation of materials to aid in the supply and management of water, from water collection and purification to water source clean-up and rehabilitation from oil contamination.

Durable superoleophobic polypropylene surfaces.

Polypropylene (PP) is a popular plastic material used in consumer packaging. It would be desirable if such plastic containers were liquid repellent and not so easily fouled by their contents. Existing examples of superoleophobic surfaces typically rely on poorly adhered coatings or delicate surface structures, resulting in poor mechanical durability.

Durable, superoleophobic polymer-nanoparticle composite surfaces with re-entrant geometry via solvent-induced phase transformation.

Superoleophobic plastic surfaces are useful in a wide variety of applications including anti-fouling, self-cleaning, anti-smudge, and low-drag. Existing examples of superoleophobic surfaces typically rely on poorly adhered coatings or delicate surface structures, resulting in poor mechanical durability. Here, we report a facile method for creating re-entrant geometries desirable for superoleophobicity via entrapment of nanoparticles in polycarbonate surfaces.

Bioinspired, roughness-induced, water and oil super-philic and super-phobic coatings prepared by adaptable layer-by-layer technique.

Coatings with specific surface wetting properties are of interest for anti-fouling, anti-fogging, anti-icing, self-cleaning, anti-smudge, and oil-water separation applications. Many previous bioinspired surfaces are of limited use due to a lack of mechanical durability. Here, a layer-by-layer technique is utilized to create coatings with four combinations of water and oil repellency and affinity.

Mechanically durable, superomniphobic coatings prepared by layer-by-layer technique for self-cleaning and anti-smudge.

Superomniphobic surfaces are of interest for anti-fouling, self-cleaning, anti-smudge and low-drag applications. Many bioinspired surfaces developed previously are of limited use due to a lack of mechanical durability. From a previously developed technique, an adapted layer-by-layer approach involving charged species with electrostatic interactions between layers is combined with an uncharged fluorosilane layer to result in a durable, superomniphobic coating.

Mechanically durable, superoleophobic coatings prepared by layer-by-layer technique for anti-smudge and oil-water separation.

Superoleophobic surfaces are of interest for anti-fouling, self-cleaning, anti-smudge, low-drag, anti-fog, and oil-water separation applications. Current bioinspired surfaces are of limited use due to a lack of mechanical durability. A so-called layer-by-layer approach, involving charged species with electrostatic interactions between layers, can provide the flexibility needed to improve adhesion to the substrate while providing a low surface tension coating at the air interface.

Oxidative atomized spray deposition of electrically conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene).

Atomized spray deposition of 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene monomer in the presence of triflic anhydride vapour yields electrically conducting poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) layers.