Earthworm skin inspired rapid secretion of continuous liquid slippery film via nanochannels

The lubricating layer of Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS) has certain fluidity and low friction coefficient so that it can serve as a good barrier and protection effect. However, common SLIPS suffer from poor oil-holding capacity that lubricating oil is easy to be washed away and irreparable in practical application. Inspired from self-lubricating earthworm skin, we demonstrate a nanochannels surface covered by silicone-oil-infused polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which could form continuous self-complement lubricating layer. The strong capillarity of the confined nanochannels showed self-repairing properties of injected liquid film, which can recover lubricating performance quickly after physical damage for many times, exhibiting high stability. This study provides a simple and reliable way for the preparation of long-term effective antifouling functional interface materials.