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Superhydrophobicity: History
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Contributor: Eng Editorial Office

Superhydrophobicity is a surface wettability state in which a solid surface exhibits an extremely high water contact angle, conventionally above approximately 150 degrees, and very low contact-angle hysteresis, so that water droplets rest on the surface in an almost spherical shape and roll off readily while carrying away adhered particles [1]. The state arises from the combination of a low-surface-energy chemistry and a hierarchical micro- and nanoscale roughness: air is trapped beneath the droplet, so that the liquid contacts only the uppermost asperities rather than the full solid area, a condition described by the Cassie–Baxter wetting regime [2]. Because the roughness amplifies the intrinsic hydrophobicity of the coating material, even a moderately hydrophobic solid can become superhydrophobic when suitably textured, as first demonstrated for the hierarchical wax crystals of biological leaf surfaces [3]. The phenomenon is defined physically as the minimization of solid–liquid contact through combined chemical hydrophobicity and structured roughness, which is distinct from simple chemical water repellency on a smooth surface. The governing quantities are the apparent contact angle, the fraction of projected area actually contacted by the droplet, and the hysteresis between advancing and receding angles [3].

  • contact angle
  • Cassie–Baxter
  • wetting
  • self-cleaning
  • surface roughness

References

  1. W. Barthlott; C. Neinhuis; Purity of the sacred lotus, or escape from contamination in biological surfaces. Planta 1997, 202, 1-8, 10.1007/s004250050096.
  2. Reiner Fürstner; Wilhelm Barthlott; Christoph Neinhuis; Peter Walzel; Wetting and Self-Cleaning Properties of Artificial Superhydrophobic Surfaces. Langmuir 2005, 21, 956-961, 10.1021/la0401011.
  3. C. Neinhuis; W. Barthlott; Characterization and Distribution of Water-repellent, Self-cleaning Plant Surfaces. Ann. Bot. 1997, 79, 667-677, 10.1006/anbo.1997.0400.
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