When and How Self-cleaning of Superhydrophobic Surfaces Works

Overview

Journal Sci Adv

Specialties Biology
Science

Date 2020 Feb 4

PMID 32010764

Citations 52

Authors

Florian Geyer

Maria Dacunzi

Azadeh Sharifi-Aghili

Alexander Saal

Nan Gao

Anke Kaltbeitzel

Tim-Frederik Sloot

Rudiger Berger

Hans-Jurgen Butt

Doris Vollmer

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Despite the enormous interest in superhydrophobicity for self-cleaning, a clear picture of contaminant removal is missing, in particular, on a single-particle level. Here, we monitor the removal of individual contaminant particles on the micrometer scale by confocal microscopy. We correlate this space- and time-resolved information with measurements of the friction force. The balance of capillary and adhesion force between the drop and the contamination on the substrate determines the friction force of drops during self-cleaning. These friction forces are in the range of micro-Newtons. We show that hydrophilic and hydrophobic particles hardly influence superhydrophobicity provided that the particle size exceeds the pore size or the thickness of the contamination falls below the height of the protrusions. These detailed insights into self-cleaning allow the rational design of superhydrophobic surfaces that resist contamination as demonstrated by outdoor environmental (>200 days) and industrial standardized contamination experiments.

Citing Articles

Research Advances and Future Perspectives of Superhydrophobic Coatings in Sports Equipment Applications.

Huang G, Guo Y, Lee B, Chen H, Mao A Molecules. 2025; 30(3).

PMID: 39942748 PMC: 11820819. DOI: 10.3390/molecules30030644.

Bioinspired nanofilament coatings for scale reduction on steel.

Ali S, Rasmussen M, Catalano J, Frederiksen C, Weidner T Beilstein J Nanotechnol. 2025; 16():25-34.

PMID: 39811243 PMC: 11730175. DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.16.3.

Rapid water drainage on human eyelashes of a hydrophobic fiber array.

Zhou S, Chen F, Cheng Z, Gao C, He Z, Wang S Sci Adv. 2024; 10(51):eadr2135.

PMID: 39705366 PMC: 11661455. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adr2135.

Enhancing Resistance to Wetting Transition through the Concave Structures.

Lee J, Park J, Jung K, Lee S, Lee J, Wooh S Adv Mater. 2024; 37(1):e2409389.

PMID: 39358940 PMC: 11707565. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202409389.

Universal droplet propulsion by dynamic surface-charge wetting.

Zhou Y, Wu J, Gao G, Zeng Y, Liu S, Zheng H Microsyst Nanoeng. 2024; 10(1):134.

PMID: 39327423 PMC: 11427456. DOI: 10.1038/s41378-024-00745-x.

References

Wisdom K, Watson J, Qu X, Liu F, Watson G, Chen C . Self-cleaning of superhydrophobic surfaces by self-propelled jumping condensate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013; 110(20):7992-7. PMC: 3657783. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1210770110. View

Lafuma A, Quere D . Superhydrophobic states. Nat Mater. 2003; 2(7):457-60. DOI: 10.1038/nmat924. View

Garrod R, Harris L, Schofield W, McGettrick J, Ward L, Teare D . Mimicking a Stenocara beetle's back for microcondensation using plasmachemical patterned superhydrophobic-superhydrophilic surfaces. Langmuir. 2007; 23(2):689-93. DOI: 10.1021/la0610856. View

Geyer F, Dacunzi M, Yang C, Muller M, Baumli P, Kaltbeitzel A . How to Coat the Inside of Narrow and Long Tubes with a Super-Liquid-Repellent Layer-A Promising Candidate for Antibacterial Catheters. Adv Mater. 2018; 31(2):e1801324. DOI: 10.1002/adma.201801324. View

Deng B, Cai R, Yu Y, Jiang H, Wang C, Li J . Laundering durability of superhydrophobic cotton fabric. Adv Mater. 2010; 22(48):5473-7. DOI: 10.1002/adma.201002614. View

Butt H, Gao N, Papadopoulos P, Steffen W, Kappl M, Berger R . Energy Dissipation of Moving Drops on Superhydrophobic and Superoleophobic Surfaces. Langmuir. 2016; 33(1):107-116. DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b03792. View

Boreyko J, Chen C . Self-propelled dropwise condensate on superhydrophobic surfaces. Phys Rev Lett. 2009; 103(18):184501. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.184501. View

Feng L, Zhang Z, Mai Z, Ma Y, Liu B, Jiang L . A super-hydrophobic and super-oleophilic coating mesh film for the separation of oil and water. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2004; 43(15):2012-4. DOI: 10.1002/anie.200353381. View

Shirtcliffe N, McHale G, Newton M, Zhang Y . Superhydrophobic copper tubes with possible flow enhancement and drag reduction. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2010; 1(6):1316-23. DOI: 10.1021/am9001937. View

10.

Cao L, Jones A, Sikka V, Wu J, Gao D . Anti-icing superhydrophobic coatings. Langmuir. 2009; 25(21):12444-8. DOI: 10.1021/la902882b. View

11.

Jonsson-Niedziolka M, Lapierre F, Coffinier Y, Parry S, Zoueshtiagh F, Foat T . EWOD driven cleaning of bioparticles on hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces. Lab Chip. 2010; 11(3):490-6. DOI: 10.1039/c0lc00203h. View

12.

Li J, Zhou X, Li J, Che L, Yao J, McHale G . Topological liquid diode. Sci Adv. 2017; 3(10):eaao3530. PMC: 5659653. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aao3530. View

13.

Poschl U . Atmospheric aerosols: composition, transformation, climate and health effects. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2005; 44(46):7520-40. DOI: 10.1002/anie.200501122. View

14.

Tuteja A, Choi W, Ma M, Mabry J, Mazzella S, Rutledge G . Designing superoleophobic surfaces. Science. 2007; 318(5856):1618-22. DOI: 10.1126/science.1148326. View

15.

Zhang L, Dacunzi M, Kappl M, Auernhammer G, Vollmer D, van Kats C . Hollow silica spheres: synthesis and mechanical properties. Langmuir. 2009; 25(5):2711-7. DOI: 10.1021/la803546r. View

16.

Furstner R, Barthlott W, Neinhuis C, Walzel P . Wetting and self-cleaning properties of artificial superhydrophobic surfaces. Langmuir. 2005; 21(3):956-61. DOI: 10.1021/la0401011. View

17.

Park K, Chhatre S, Srinivasan S, Cohen R, McKinley G . Optimal design of permeable fiber network structures for fog harvesting. Langmuir. 2013; 29(43):13269-77. DOI: 10.1021/la402409f. View

18.

Domingues E, Arunachalam S, Nauruzbayeva J, Mishra H . Biomimetic coating-free surfaces for long-term entrapment of air under wetting liquids. Nat Commun. 2018; 9(1):3606. PMC: 6127334. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05895-x. View

19.

Mishchenko L, Hatton B, Bahadur V, Taylor J, Krupenkin T, Aizenberg J . Design of ice-free nanostructured surfaces based on repulsion of impacting water droplets. ACS Nano. 2010; 4(12):7699-707. DOI: 10.1021/nn102557p. View

20.

Schellenberger F, Encinas N, Vollmer D, Butt H . How Water Advances on Superhydrophobic Surfaces. Phys Rev Lett. 2016; 116(9):096101. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.096101. View