Abstract
The lotus effect and roughness-induced superhydrophobicity of natural and artificial (biomimetic) surfaces are studied in this chapter. The lotus effect is characterized by extreme water-repellency (superhydrophobicity) as well as self-cleaning resulting from the surface roughness and low surface energy coating. Various natural superhydrophobic surfaces (water-repellent plant leaves, bird feathers, water strider legs) are studied, and the theory of superhydrophobicity is presented. This includes the concepts of the contact angle and contact angle hysteresis, homogeneous (Wenzel) and composite (Cassie) wetting states, the Cassie—Wenzel transitions, and the effect of the multi-scale (hierarchical roughness). Artificial biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces are discussed, including various ways of manufacturing and design optimization issues.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Functional Properties of Bio-Inspired Surfaces |
| Subtitle of host publication | Characterization and Technological Applications |
| Publisher | World Scientific Publishing Co. |
| Pages | 43-78 |
| Number of pages | 36 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9789812837028 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9812837019, 9789812837011 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Jan 2009 |