Wettability of Polymeric Bionic Surface Replicated from Ginkgo Leaves

Abstract:

Ginkgo is one of the oldest extant seed plants through hundreds of millions of years of evolution. Ginkgo biloba has many unique properties and applications such as drug development and drinking tea. In recent years hydrophobic surfaces with bionic structures have attracted increasing interest for fundamental research and practical applications. As we all know, the Ginkgo leaf has remarkable texturing surface. In this manuscript, wettability of the bionic surface replicated from Ginkgo leaves was explored. The Ginkgo leaves were used as the original mold, from which microstructures were replicated into the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Compared with the topography of Ginkgo leaves, the topographical surface of PDMS was investigated by optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. By measuring the contact angle of polymeric bionic surfaces, there is the increase of ~20 degree than flat PDMS surfaces. Mechanical compression was applied on the polymeric bionic surfaces in one dimension, with the real-time measurement of the contact angle. The experimental results reveal that the wetting behavior of the surface can be reversibly tuned by applied mechanical stress, which induces the change in micro-scale topography. This research provides a guide for fabricating and tuning hydrophobic surfaces for various surface engineering applications.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 625)
• Pages: 736-741
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.625.736
• Online since: August 2014
• Authors: Xiao Li Zhao*, Wei Wei An, Jiu Chun Yan, Hai Cao Yu, Li Qin Wang
• Keywords: Contact Angle, Ginkgo Leaf, Mechanical Compression, Structure, Wettability

References

[1] A. G. Franke, I. Heinrich, K. Lieb, A. Fellgiebel, The use of ginkgo biloba in healthy elderly, Age. 5 (2013): 1-10.

DOI: 10.1007/s11357-013-9550-y

[2] G. J. Retallack, Global cooling by grassland soils of the geological past and near future, Annu. Rev. Eeath & Planet Sci, 41 (2013) 69-86.

DOI: 10.1146/annurev-earth-050212-124001

[3] G. Singh, Pharmaceutical benefits of ginkgo biloba: a review, J. biomed. Pharm. Res, 2 (2013) 15-21.

[4] W. Barthlott, C. Neinhuis, Purity of the sacred lotus, or escape from contamination in biological surfaces, Planta. 202 (1997) 1-8.

DOI: 10.1007/s004250050096

[5] W. Barthlott, C. Neinhuis, Characterization and distribution of water-repellent, self-cleaning plant surfaces, Annals of Botany. 79 (1997) 6670677.

DOI: 10.1006/anbo.1997.0400

[6] Bhuhan, Y. C. Jung, Wetting, adhesion and friction of superhydrophobic and hydrophilic leaves and fabricated micro/nanopatterned surfaces, J. Phys: Conden. Matter. 20 (2008) 225010.

DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/20/22/225010

[7] A. Marmur, The lutos effect: superhydrophobicity and metastability, Langmuir. 20 (2004) 3517-3519.

DOI: 10.1021/la036369u

[8] N. A. Patankar, Mimicking the lutos effect: influence of double roughness structures and slender pillar, Langmuir. 20 (2004) 8209-8213.

DOI: 10.1021/la048629t

[9] M. H. Sun, C. X. Luo, P. L. Xu, H. Ji, Q. Ouyang, D. P. Yu, Y. Chen, Artificial lotus leaf by Nanocasting, Langmuir, 21 (2005) 8978.

DOI: 10.1021/la050316q

[10] Z. W. He, W. Zhang, W. L. Wang, M. Tassin, J. J. Gu, Q. L. Liu, S. M. Zhu, H. L. Su, C. L. Feng, D. Zhang, Fabrication of Fe-wings used for micro imprinting with a natural butterfly wing structure by in situ carbothermic reduction, J. Mater. Chem. B. 1 (2013).

DOI: 10.1039/c3tb00541k