title: Patterned superhydrophobic surfaces: toward a synthetic mimic of the Namib Desert beetle.
abstract: The present study demonstrates a surface structure that mimics the water harvesting wing surface of the Namib Desert beetle. Hydrophilic patterns on superhydrophobic surfaces were created with water/2-propanol solutions of a polyelectrolyte to produce surfaces with extreme hydrophobic contrast. Selective deposition of multilayer films onto the hydrophilic patterns introduces different properties to the area including superhydrophilicity. Potential applications of such surfaces include water harvesting surfaces, controlled drug release coatings, open-air microchannel devices, and lab-on-chip devices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical Engineering, and the Center for Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Michael C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Fevzi C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Cebeci
authors.forename: Yushan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Milwid
authors.forename: Michael F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Rubner
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Cohen
mesh_terms: D019840:2-Propanol / Q000737:chemistry*; D000180:Acrylic Resins / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D040761:Biomimetic Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000737:chemistry*; D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods; D004573:Electrolytes / Q000737:chemistry; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D008422:Materials Testing; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011073:Polyamines / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D014921:Wings, Animal / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000180:Acrylic Resins; D004573:Electrolytes; D011073:Polyamines; D012996:Solutions; D014867:Water; C063994:polyallylamine; C006903:carbopol 940; D019840:2-Propanol