Bioinspired Structure Materials to Control Water-collecting Properties

Natural evolution endows biological surfaces with unique wettability. The capture silk of a cribellate spider can collect tiny droplets directionally through a cooperation of curvature- and wettable gradients in periodic spindle-knot structures. Inspired by the role of micro- and nanostructures in water collecting ability of spider silk, some functional spindle-knotted fibers are designed by using various methods, including dip/fluid-coating, electrospinning, wet-assembly and micro-fluidic technology. These smart artificial fibers exhibit various water-collecting properties, such as efficient water-collecting, long-distance droplet transport, and intelligent responses to external stimulus (e.g., temperature, illumination, humidity). The studies are significant in potential application.