Bioinspired TiO2 Nanostructure Films with Special Wettability and Adhesion for Droplets Manipulation and Patterning

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 3; no. 1; p. 3009
• Main Authors: Lai, Yue-Kun, Tang, Yu-Xin, Huang, Jian-Ying, Pan, Fei, Chen, Zhong, Zhang, Ke-Qin, Fuchs, Harald, Chi, Li-Feng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 22.10.2013; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/61/350/2093; 639/166/985; 639/301/54/989; 639/925/357/341; Adhesion; ATP; Chemical composition; Contact angle; Electrolytes; Engineering; Humanities and Social Sciences; Hydrophobic surfaces; Immobilization; Interfaces; Microfluidics; multidisciplinary; Nanoparticles; Photocatalysis; Science; Titanium dioxide
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep03009

Patterned surfaces with special wettability and adhesion (sliding, sticky or patterned superoleophobic surface) can be found on many living creatures. They offer a versatile platform for microfluidic management and other biological functions. Inspired by their precise arrangement of structure and chemical component, we described a facile one-step approach to construct large scale pinecone-like anatase TiO 2 particles (ATP) film. The as-prepared ATP film exhibits excellent superamphiphilic property in air, changes to underwater superoleophobicity with good dynamical stability. In addition, erasable and rewritable patterned superamphiphobic ATP films or three-dimensional (3D) Janus surfaces were constructed for a versatile platform for microfluidic management and biomedical applications. In a proof-of-concept study, robust super-antiwetting feet for artificial anti-oil strider at the oil/water interface, novel superamphiphobic surface for repeatable oil/water separation and multifunctional patterned superamphiphobic ATP template for cell, fluorecent probe and inorganic nanoparticles site-selective immobilization were demonstrated.