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Lotus Effect: Nature's Hydrophobic Design

The lotus effect refers to the very high water repellency exhibited by lotus leaves due to their complex micro and nano structure architecture. This minimizes contact between the leaf surface and water, allowing dirt to be removed. Research into this effect led to the discovery that lotus leaves have a rough, wax coated surface that creates high water contact angles. Later studies developed models to explain this superhydrophobicity and engineered materials like perfluorinated compounds that exhibit similar water repelling properties, finding applications in handling fluids. While natural examples exist, technology now allows improving the lotus effect and tailoring superhydrophobic materials and structures for different applications.

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Renan Sadao Rodrigues
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57 views2 pages

Lotus Effect: Nature's Hydrophobic Design

The lotus effect refers to the very high water repellency exhibited by lotus leaves due to their complex micro and nano structure architecture. This minimizes contact between the leaf surface and water, allowing dirt to be removed. Research into this effect led to the discovery that lotus leaves have a rough, wax coated surface that creates high water contact angles. Later studies developed models to explain this superhydrophobicity and engineered materials like perfluorinated compounds that exhibit similar water repelling properties, finding applications in handling fluids. While natural examples exist, technology now allows improving the lotus effect and tailoring superhydrophobic materials and structures for different applications.

Uploaded by

Renan Sadao Rodrigues
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

The lotus effect in nature, several plants and insects show very high water contact angles, for

instance lotus leaves or butterfly wings. Searching for the origin of superhydrophobicity, scanning electron microscopy reveals that lotus leaves have a high degree of microscopic roughness, in addition, the outermost layer of lotus leaf is composed of a waxy material which is inherently hydrophobic.
The reseachers The lotus effect refers to the very high water repellence (superhydrophobicity) exhibited by the leaves of the lotus flower (Nelumbo).[1] Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets due to a complex micro-

and nanoscopic

architecture of the surface, which minimizes adhesion.


This effect can easily be demonstrated in many other plants, for example Tropaeolum (nasturtium), Opuntia (prickly pear), Aquilegia (columbine), cane, and on the wings of certain insects.[citation needed]

1964 : Dettre and Johnson - rough hydrophobic surfaces. Their work developed a theoretical model based on experiments with glass beads coated with paraffin 1977 : Barthlott and Ehler studied The self-cleaning property of superhydrophobic micro-nanostructured surfaces 1986 : Brown developed perfluoroalkyl and perfluoropolyether superhydrophobic materials for handling chemical and biological fluids

Conclusion 1) we can find natural hydrophobic materials, but with technology we can improve the effects 2) As today we understand better the mechanics of super-hydrophobicity, we have a range of materials and applications 3) we do not know today What design optimizes the material, depending in particular the desired application or constraints

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