A simple superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic Janus-paper with enhanced biocompatibility by PDMS and candle soot coating for actuator

• Published in: Chemical engineering journal (Lausanne, Switzerland : 1996) Vol. 406; p. 126532
• Main Authors: Liu, Xianhu, Zhang, Xudong, Chen, Qiang, Pan, Yamin, Liu, Chuntai, Shen, Changyu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 15.02.2021
• Subjects: Candle Soot; Coating; Janus; PDMS; Superhydrophobic; Superhydrophobic; Coating; Candle Soot; Janus; PDMS
• ISSN: 1385-8947; 1873-3212
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cej.2020.126532

[Display omitted] •A simple approach is proposed to fabricate a Janus-paper with superhydrophobicity/superhydrophilicity.•When the prepared mimosa-like Janus-paper is immersed in water, it bends immediately like mimosa.•Janus-paper can significantly improve the cell biocompatibility.•Superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces can be used for microdroplet transportation. Janus-materials were processed though different characteristics integrate to achieve important functions which have aroused great interest among the scientific research and industrial applications. However, the facile fabrication of Janus-materials with the attributes of chemical-free, low-cost, and simple process is still a great challenge. Herein, inspired by the mimosa and lotus leaf, a Janus-paper with superhydrophobicity /superhydrophilicity is successfully fabricated by a conjunction of PDMS and candle soot coating. The water and sliding contact angles of the superhydrophobic surface are 162° and 1°, respectively, and it also shows a good antifouling properties and mechanical durability. Additionally, the cell biocompatibility of superhydrophobic surface is significantly improved, holding the potential as a cell culture carrier. Due to the inhomogeneous swelling inside the internal structure, the Janus-paper exhibits a mimosa-like behavior when immersed in water, endowing the actuation of a boat model on the water surface. Moreover, due to the different adhesions, the superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces can be used for microdroplet transportation and water storage devices. This bio-inspired approach provides a new generic route for fabrication of Janus-paper for potential multifunctional applications.