Bio-inspired wettability surfaces: Developments in micro- and nanostructures

An exciting confluence of research areas of physics, chemistry, biology, and material science has arisen in recent years. A kernel consists in organic materials with high/low surface energy or regular/irregular, ordered/disordered, or rough/smooth surface structures, which can be endlessly arranged and combined with micro- and nanostructures of various style, and is greatly provided with adaptability to perfectly display the biological functions through natural evolvement in thousands of years. Interestingly, biological surfaces develop micro-/nanostructures with gradient features to achieve the smartly wetting controls, such as the ultra-hydrophobic water repellency on lotus leaf, directional water collection on wetted spider silk, direction adhesion of superhydrophobic butterfly wing, and fog-collecting hydrophobic/hydrophilic pattern on beetle back. Biological surfaces provide endless inspiration for the design and fabrication of functional interface materials with unique wettability, generating promising applications such as microfluidic devices, functional textiles, corrosion resistance, liquid transportation, antifogging, and water-collecting devices. The book discusses the mechanism of smart wetting control such as water collection/repellency on biological micro-/nanostructure gradient interfaces that have been revealed in recent years. It also offers ways or ideas to mimic biological features to realize bioinspired functional surfaces with unique wettability. The book will help researchers to develop innovatory designs onto novel materials for future scientific works.