Surfaces with differently shaped nanoscale textures may yield improved materials for applications in transportation, energy, and diagnostics Brookhaven Lab physicist Antonio Checco When it comes to designing extremely water-repellent surfaces, shape and size matter. That’s the finding of a group of scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, who investigated the effects of differently shaped, nanoscale textures on a material’s ability to force water droplets to roll off without wetting its surface. These findings and the methods used to fabricate such materials — published online October 21, 2013, in Advanced Materials — are highly relevant for a broad range of applications where water-resistance is important, including power generation and transportation. “The idea that microscopic textures can impart a material with water-repellent properties has its origins in nature,” explained Brookhaven physicist and lead author Antonio Checco. “For example, the leaves of lotus plants and some insects’ exoskeletons have tiny-scale texturing designed to repel water by trapping air. This property, called ‘superhydrophobicity’ (or super-water-hating), enables water droplets to easily roll off, carrying dirt particles along with them.” Mimicking this self-cleaning mechanism of nature is relevant for a wide range of applications, such as non-fouling, anti-icing, and antibacterial coatings. However,

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