Peng Shuhua, Zhang Xuehua
Soft Matter & Interfaces Group, School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, 3001, Australia.
Chem Asian J. 2017 Jul 4;12(13):1538-1544. doi: 10.1002/asia.201700358. Epub 2017 May 15.
Recently, solvent exchange has been demonstrated as a simple solution-based approach for the controlled formation of surface nanodroplets over large areas. The as-formed surface nanodroplets provide new opportunities for a wide range of droplet-based applications. Herein, it is demonstrated that surface nanodroplets can be used as versatile structural templates for the fabrication of functional surfaces with tailored wettability and morphology. Guided by the microstructural and wetting properties of desert beetle's back and cactus spine, two types of functional surfaces have been prepared. The first biomimetic surface of desert beetle's back, with hydrophilic lumps on a hydrophobic background, was obtained by independent selective surface modification of polymerized surface nanodroplets and the background surface. The second surface, with anisotropic wetting microstructures, was fabricated by controlled deposition of droplets on the rim of polymer lenses. The results showed systematic improvement of wettability and efficiency of water collection by using the as-prepared biomimetic surfaces, compared with substrates without the designed microstructures. This work demonstrates surface nanodroplets as a new type of template in the design and preparation of functional surfaces with controlled wettability and morphology.
最近，溶剂交换已被证明是一种基于溶液的简单方法，可用于在大面积上可控地形成表面纳米液滴。所形成的表面纳米液滴为广泛的基于液滴的应用提供了新的机会。在此，证明了表面纳米液滴可作为通用的结构模板，用于制造具有定制润湿性和形态的功能表面。以沙漠甲虫背部和仙人掌刺的微观结构及润湿特性为指导，制备了两种类型的功能表面。通过对聚合表面纳米液滴和背景表面进行独立的选择性表面改性，获得了第一种模仿沙漠甲虫背部的仿生表面，其在疏水背景上具有亲水性块状物。第二种具有各向异性润湿微观结构的表面，是通过在聚合物透镜边缘控制液滴沉积而制备的。结果表明，与没有设计微观结构的基材相比，使用所制备的仿生表面可使润湿性和集水效率得到系统性提高。这项工作证明了表面纳米液滴是设计和制备具有可控润湿性和形态的功能表面的一种新型模板。
