Toward Condensation-Resistant Omniphobic Surfaces.
basic_science · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 30299928.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1021/acsnano.8b05099.
- No licence information is recorded for this record.
- Because redistribution is not established, this page shows the abstract only. Follow the links below for the full text.
Abstract
Omniphobic surfaces based on reentrant surface structures repel all liquids, regardless of the surface material, without requiring low-surface-energy coatings. Although omniphobic surfaces have been designed and demonstrated, they can fail during condensation, a phenomenon ubiquitous in both nature and industrial applications. Specifically, as condensate nucleates within the reentrant geometry, omniphobicity is destroyed. Here, we show a nanostructured surface that can repel liquids even during condensation. This surface consists of isolated reentrant cavities with a pitch on the order of 100 nm to prevent droplets from nucleating and spreading within all structures. We developed a model to guide surface design and subsequently fabricated and tested these surfaces with various liquids. We demonstrated repellency to 10 °C below the dew point and showed durability over 3 weeks. This work provides important insights for achieving robust, omniphobic surfaces.