Colin Crick

By Colin R. Crick

Superhydrophobic materials rely upon highly rough surface morphologies in order to maximise water repellency, and requires surface features on the micro/nanoscale. These tremendously small surface structures are inherently physically weak, relative to characteristics of bulk materials. This limits the real-world applicability of many superhydrophobic surfaces, as degradation and loss of superhydrophobicity readily occurs upon exposure to anticipated stimuli. Consequently, there is an absence of long-lasting commercial products, but instead rely upon frequent regeneration. These materials demonstrate a tremendous potential for application in a range of areas, including antifouling, self-cleaning, drag-reduction, anti-icing, etc. To realise application on these fields, superhydrophobic resilience must be maximised. This chapter summarises evaluation methods and engineering procedures in attaining resilience, both are highly important in the development of robust materials.

Part of the book: Superhydrophobic Surfaces

By Brenda Resendiz Diaz and Colin R. Crick

Due to their excellent robustness and water-repellence properties, materials with low surface energy such as fluoroalkyl compounds (perfluoroalkyl silanes and fluoroacrylic copolymers) and organosilane-based chemistries are used for superhydrophobic coatings fabrication. However, these materials can cause a severe environmental impact and generally are not biodegradable or recyclable. For this reason, new environmentally friendly methods using natural materials are still being developed to obtain similar features, especially for packaging, textile and medical applications. The use of plant-based materials shows potential for creating superhydrophobic coatings, as many of them are naturally hydrophobic and can produce the desired surface textures. The main challenges to making superhydrophobic coatings from plant-based materials are abrasion resistance, strong adhesion, functionality in certain environments, and durability, but at the same time, they must be biodegradable. This chapter summarizes the recent approaches for superhydrophobic coatings made from environmentally safe materials and their applications.

Part of the book: Superhydrophobic Coating

By Reyna I. Garcia-Gonzalez and Colin R. Crick

The importance of microorganisms, especially bacteria, has often been underestimated, yet they have vital roles in staying in the environment and affecting human health and industries. These microorganisms have complex systems and change quickly over time, becoming more resistant. The spread of harmful microorganisms has negative effects on industries and human health. Even microorganisms that seem harmless can be a big problem because they are becoming more resistant to normal cleaning and antibiotics. They resist ways like creating strong biofilms, which make these microorganisms even tougher and help infections spread. Although there are other options like using heat or chemicals, the problem of bacterial resistance is still a big worry for health and industries. Trying out new ideas that do not use chemicals or antibiotics, like using superhydrophobic surfaces, could be a big solution. These surfaces use both special chemicals and changes in how they feel to water to stop bacteria from sticking and growing. By looking for new ways, we can get better at dealing with these microorganisms and find better ways to live with them.

Part of the book: Superhydrophobic Coating