Biomimetic Ultra-Bubble-Repellent Surfaces Based on
a Self-Organized Honeycomb Film
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Abstract
The adhesion of bubbles underwater
remains the greatest cause of malfunctions in applications such as
microfluidics, medical devices and heat exchangers. There is therefore
an emerging need for ultra-bubble-repellent surfaces. Inspired by
fish scales, which show high bubble repellency due to their hydrophilic
nature and surface microstructures, we propose a novel method for
preparing ultra-bubble-repellent surfaces by the hydrophilic treatment
of self-organized microstructures. When in contact with air bubbles
underwater, the artificial hydrophilic microstructured surfaces had
a higher contact angle and a lower adhesion force than a flat surface.
The mechanism leading to these properties is also investigated. Our
method for the fabrication of ultra-bubble-repellent, hydrophilic,
microstructured surfaces is simple and cost-effective, opening the
way for its application in artificial devices, such as the inner surfaces
of tubes, medical devices, and heat exchangers