Development and Application of Biomimetic Superwettable Materials

Nachuan Qiao

Leicester International Institute, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, Liaoning, 116000, China

Keywords: Biomimetic, Superinfiltration, Innovative Materials, Practical Applications.

Abstract: Wettability plays a crucial role in the self-cleaning properties of materials and has attracted significant

scholarly interest. Since the development of superhydrophobicity theory, research has shifted from solely

hydrophobic functionality to the integration of multiple functions. Early research produced materials that were

difficult to adapt to complex working conditions. In recent years, researchers have introduced stimulus-

responsive materials to build dynamic structures and developed adaptive intelligent super-immersion systems.

This paper systematically reviews the research progress of bionic superwetting systems in multifunctional

integration strategy in recent years, focusing on the synergistic principle between microstructure, chemical

components, and external stimulus response. The article also analyzes the innovative applications of bionic

super-impregnated systems in various fields, including energy harvesting, environmental protection, and

coating innovation. Finally, the article proposes future research directions and solutions, including the

development of novel stimulus-responsive materials, the optimization of micro- and nanostructure design,

and the exploration of low-cost preparation processes, taking into account the current research trends and

technical bottlenecks. The article aims to provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the further

development of bionic superinfiltration systems and to promote their practical applications in more fields.

1 INTRODUCTION

With the advancement of industrial technology and

the growth of extreme environmental demands, the

performance bottlenecks of traditional material

surface interfaces in the fields of anti-icing, anti-

fouling, and water harvesting are becoming more and

more prominent. Bio-attachment on ship surfaces

leads to increased energy loss, highway icing raises

safety concerns, and inefficient access to fresh water

in arid regions. In this context, biomimetic super-

immersed materials have been developed. Bionic

superwetting materials are a new class of materials

designed and prepared by mimicking the special

wettability of the surfaces of living organisms in

nature. They show great potential for application in

various fields such as material science, energy,

environment, and biomedicine. By mimicking the

microstructure and chemical composition of the

surface of living organisms, materials with special

wettability properties, such as superhydrophobic,

superhydrophilic, or superbiphobic

(superhydrophobic and superoleophobic at the same

https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0939-2763

time), are realized. These materials can precisely

modulate the behavior of liquids on their surfaces and

exhibit unique physical and chemical properties.

Since the establishment of superhydrophobicity

theory in the 1990s, biomimetic superimpregnation

research has undergone a transition from single

hydrophobic property to gradient-function fusion.

Early research focused on micro- and nano-structural

replicas and low surface energy modifications, which

successfully realized stable superhydrophobic

surfaces with contact angles > 150°. However, static

super-immersed interfaces are difficult to adapt to

complex working environments, and their mechanical

durability and functional adaptability still have

significant shortcomings. In recent years, researchers

have developed intelligent superwetting systems with

adaptive properties by introducing stimulus-

responsive materials to construct multilevel dynamic

structures and other strategies. For example, through

the design of bionic octopus sucker structure, the

underwater reversible adhesion-desorption intelligent

regulation has been realized. It is worth noting that

most of the current reviews focus on the optimal

design of a single wetting state, and the research

Qiao, N.

Development and Application of Biomimetic Superwettable Materials.

DOI: 10.5220/0013828100004708

Paper published under CC license (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Innovations in Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Astronomy (IAMPA 2025), pages 487-492

ISBN: 978-989-758-774-0

487

summary of cross-scale synergistic effect,

environmental adaptive mechanism, and multi-

physical field coupling is still insufficient.

This paper focuses on the multifunctional

integration strategies of bionic super-immersed

systems in recent years, elucidates the synergistic

principles of microstructure design, chemical

component regulation, and external stimulus response,

and analyzes their innovative applications in the

fields of energy harvesting, environmental protection,

and biomedicine etc. Finally, it synthesizes the

development trends and proposes future solutions.

Finally, it synthesizes the development trend and

proposes future development directions and solutions

by combining the advantages and disadvantages.

2 BIONIC SUPERWETTABILITY

MATERIALS

2.1 Bionic Superwettability Materials

Biomimetic Superwettability refers to the design and

manufacture of artificial surfaces with specific

wettability properties by mimicking the special

wettability properties of biological surfaces in nature.

Some biological surfaces in nature have special

wettability properties. For example, lotus leaf

superhydrophobicity, desert beetle directional water

collection, and hogweed super slippery

interface(Jiang et al., 2021). The principle of

directional water harvesting in desert beetles

(nanofabric desert beetles) is mainly based on the

unique micro-nanostructure and wettability

differences on their back, where water vapor in the

mist condenses into small droplets at the top of the

hydrophilic bumps. As the water droplets gradually

increase in size, their weight exceeds the adsorption

force of the hydrophilic region, and they roll down the

hydrophobic "valley". These droplets eventually

converge and flow towards the beetle's mouth for

drinking.

The lotus leaf effect is one of the best-known

superhydrophobic phenomena in nature (Zhang,

2005). The surface of the lotus leaf is covered with

tiny papillae structures, which have an average size of

about 6-8 micrometers, an average height of about 11-

13 micrometers, and an average spacing of about 19-

21 micrometers. Distributed between these tiny

papillae are also some larger papillae, which are

composed of even smaller microprotrusions clustered

together. These multiple nano- and micron-sized

ultramicrostructures result in an extremely thin layer

of air on the surface of the lotus leaf. When a water

droplet falls on the lotus leaf, since the diameter of

the droplet is much larger than the size of the papillae,

the droplet can only form a few points of contact with

the tips of the papillae on the leaf surface, and thus

cannot infiltrate into the surface of the lotus leaf, thus

obtaining the effect of superhydrophobicity. The

various super-immersed structures in natural

organisms give a template for super-immersed

materials, enabling the development of bionic super-

immersed materials research. Bionic super-immersed

materials provide a wealth of ideas and methods for

artificial material design through the inspiration of

structure, function, material selection and

modification, theoretical innovation, and intelligent

response. This transformation from natural to

artificial not only promotes the development of

materials science but also shows broad application

prospects in many fields and provides new ways to

solve practical problems.

2.2 Fundamentals of Bionic

Superwettability Materials

Young's equation and contact angle theory are

important theoretical foundations for the study of

bionic superimmersion. Young's equation, which was

proposed by Thomas Young in 1805, describes the

equilibrium relationship of interfacial tension at the

gas-liquid-solid three-phase contact line at

equilibrium. Its mathematical expression is:

𝛾𝑆𝑉 = 𝛾𝑆𝐿 + 𝛾𝐿𝑉 · 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝜃 (1)

Where γSV, γSL, and γLV represent the surface

tension at the solid-gas, solid-liquid, and liquid-gas

interfaces, respectively, and θ is the contact angle.

The contact angle is the tangent line of the gas-liquid

interface made at the intersection of gas, liquid, and

solid phases, and the angle between the liquid side

and the solid-liquid intersection line, which is an

important parameter for measuring the wetting

performance of liquid on a solid surface. According

to the size of the contact angle, the wettability of the

solid surface can be judged: when θ < 90°, the solid

surface is hydrophilic; when θ > 90°, the solid surface

is hydrophobic. Academician Jiang et al. (2002)

discussed for the first time that the micro- and nano-

multiscale structure of the surface is the key to the

lotus leaf effect, and is an important reason for the

simultaneous high surface contact angle and low

adhesion. This phenomenon not only deepened the

understanding of the relationship between surface

roughness and wettability but also inspired materials

scholars to draw inspiration from nature to construct

diverse superhydrophobic surfaces.

IAMPA 2025 - The International Conference on Innovations in Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Astronomy

488

3 BIONIC SUPERWETTABILITY

MATERIALS AND

PREPARATION METHODS

3.1 Binary Synergistic Interface

Materials

Academician Lei Jiang proposed a binary synergistic

design system for nanointerfacial materials,

creatively combining biomimetic micro- and nano-

composite structures with external-field responsive

molecular design (Jiang, 2019). For example, in the

preparation of superhydrophobic materials, not only

are surfaces with specific micro- and nano-structures

constructed to increase the roughness, but also the

surfaces are chemically modified to reduce the

surface energy so that it is difficult for water droplets

to spread on the surfaces, thus realizing

superhydrophobic properties. Different wettability of

the upper and lower surfaces (e.g., superhydrophobic

vs. superhydrophilic) can be used to achieve special

functions, such as floating stably at the air/water

interface and for oil-water separation. There are broad

prospects in the fields of energy, health, environment,

etc., such as concentration difference power

generation in the energy field, medical catheters in the

health field, and wastewater treatment in the

environmental field. The design is flexible and can be

generalized to other physical systems, providing a

new method for the design of biomimetic intelligent

multi-scale interface materials and expanding the

range of material applications. Traditional materials

may have limited performance in specific application

scenarios. Binary synergistic interfacial materials can

realize efficient interfacial regulation through the

difference of surface wettability, which significantly

improves the separation efficiency and selectivity.

Superhydrophilic surfaces can quickly adsorb water,

while superhydrophobic surfaces repel oil, resulting

in efficient oil-water separation. Conventional

materials have unstable performance in complex

environments. Binary synergistic interface materials

can adapt to a variety of complex environments and

maintain stable performance through surface

modification. Their superhydrophobic surface

prevents oil adhesion and extends the service life of

the materials.

3.2 Preparation Methods and

Applications

Academician Jiang Lei's team has invented a variety

of methods for the preparation of superhydrophobic

interfacial materials with practical value, including

the template method, the phase separation method,

the self-assembly method, and the electrospinning

method (Jiang, 2019). The template method can

precisely control the micro-nano structure of the

material surface, thus realizing the regulation of

wettability. Based on the design concept of binary

synergistic interface materials, Jiang Lei's team

successfully prepared a variety of biomimetic

superhydrophobic interface materials with special

functions. The researchers have prepared Janus

copper sheets with superhydrophobic upper surfaces

and superhydrophilic lower surfaces, which can float

stably on the air/water interface and can be used in the

fields of oil-water separation and interfacial catalysis.

The study of such binary synergistic interfacial

materials enriches materials science theories and

provides new perspectives for understanding the

special wettability of biological surfaces. By

mimicking the structure and function of biological

surfaces, the mechanism of superhydrophobicity

formation is revealed, which shows broad application

prospects, such as concentration power generation

and efficient heat transfer in the energy field, cancer

detection and medical catheters in the health field,

and oil-water separation and wastewater treatment in

the environmental field. In addition, the design

concept can be generalized to other physical systems,

providing a new approach for the design of

biomimetic smart multi-scale interfacial materials.

4 PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

OF SUPERWETTABILITY

MATERIALS

4.1 Condensation Performance and

Mist Collection

Condensation is a common phenomenon in which

liquid droplets are formed on the cold surface of a gas,

and is divided into the less efficient membrane

condensation (liquid film attachment) and the

efficient droplet condensation (droplet shedding by

gravity or fusion) (Zhang, 2019). The efficiency of

droplet condensation is significantly improved by

utilizing biomimetic super-wetting materials to

construct surfaces such as TiO₂ nanostructures, which

mimic the special wetting properties of desert beetles,

cacti, and other organisms (Zhang, 2019).

Breakthroughs have been made in the applications of

enhanced heat transfer, anti-icing, and fog water

Development and Application of Biomimetic Superwettable Materials

489

collection, providing new strategies for water

resource acquisition in extreme environments .

Aiming at the problem of water scarcity, a variety

of water harvesting materials with special wettability

have been designed, and the efficiency of condensate

droplet self-dispersal and fog water harvesting has

been significantly improved by modulating the

surface microstructure. In terms of technology,

titanium-based nanotube arrays, aluminum-based

rod-hole composite structures, and aluminum-coated

PET groove/Kirigami patterned surfaces were

constructed by constant/variable voltage anodizing,

water bath, and cutting methods, which were

combined with low-surface-energy modifications to

achieve superhydrophobicity (contact angle >150°)

and low-adhesion properties (rolling angle <10°).

The nano-graded structures are characterized by

high roughness, multiple hydrophilic nucleation sites

acting synergistically with the hydrophobic regions to

enable the droplets to bounce off the surface quickly

after fusion, and the groove structure (200 μm

spacing) to achieve directional transport of droplets

through the infiltration anisotropy, which improves

the water collection efficiency by 35%.

Structural aspects were also optimized, with a

hydrophobic-hydrophilic heterogeneous design for

optimal droplet capture and transport, and a triangular

Kirigami pattern (2.8 mm wide) combined with a 90°

inclination to increase mist collection efficiency by

42% compared to conventional structures. The

triangular Kirigami pattern (2.8 mm wide) combined

with the 90° inclination design provides a new

material design strategy for efficient water harvesting

in arid regions (Wei et al., 2019).

4.2 Anti-Icing Coatings

In cold natural environments, rainwater tends to

freeze on surfaces below freezing. Surface icing is

very damaging to infrastructure facilities such as

airports, highways, and ships. Traditional de-icing

methods are too cumbersome and time-consuming. In

recent years, the bionic super-impregnation system

has led to a considerable improvement in the de-icing

method.

Superhydrophobic surfaces (SHS) combine

micro- and nano-rough structures with low surface

energy to form Cassie-like air cushion structures for

liquid droplets, which reduces the liquid/solid contact

area and shortens the three-phase line, significantly

reduces the adhesion force and inhibits the heat

transfer, and its air cushion thermal insulation effect

delays the icing, realizing highly efficient anti-icing

(Cao et al., 2025). Another strategy is the lubricant-

infused surface (SLIPS), which injects a lubricant

layer of perfluorinated liquid or silicone oil, vegetable

oil, etc., into the microporous substrate to form a

super-smooth interface (hysteresis angle < 5°),

blocking direct contact between the ice and the

substrate, and combining both anti-icing and low-

adhesion ice-sparing properties. Both types of

materials provide a new direction for anti-fog, anti-

frost, and extreme environment applications by

reducing solid-liquid/ice interactions.

4.3 Efficient Water Harvesting

Collecting airborne fog can improve the utilization of

water resources and effectively alleviate water stress.

In recent years, bionic super-impregnated materials

for fog and water collection have gained more

attention (Zhou & Guo, 2022). The morphology,

structure, and chemical composition of spider silk

have received much attention.

Liu et al. (2020) studied bionic spider silk and

designed spindle junction microfibers with

homogeneous roughness, and found that the surface

morphology directly affects the water collection

efficiency, and the larger the roughness gradient is,

the higher the water collection efficiency is. The

structural morphology of the fibers can be optimized

by regulating the fluid flow rate and component

content during preparation to obtain the best spindle

junction fibers. During fog water collection, the

surface of spindle junction microfibers captures fog

droplets, which grow and aggregate, then move

toward the center of the spindle junction, and finally

overcome the adhesion force to fall off. The higher

the height of the spindle junction, the larger the

suspension volume of droplets at the instant of droplet

shedding; spindle junctions with larger widths have

larger droplet suspension volumes due to longer

three-phase contact lines when the lengths are the

same, all of which affect the fog water collection

effect. Shi et al. (2023)also designed spindle junction

fibers in the shape of a cobweb, which increases the

three-phase area and effectively improves fog water

collection. Inspired by the spider web, they further

designed a biomimetic 3D fiber network to increase

the specific surface area for fog water collection, and

formed a hydrophilic nanocone-like morphology on

the 3D mesh surface, which is more attractive to

water molecules, by preparing a layer of ZnO

crystalline seeds and growing it hydrothermally.

Compared with the traditional method, this 3D

network has a more complete water collection

mechanism, which can rapidly capture fog droplets,

promote coalescence, and decompose into droplet-

IAMPA 2025 - The International Conference on Innovations in Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Astronomy

490

like transport after forming a water film, realizing

rapid and continuous water flow and greatly

improving the fog water collection efficiency. The

spiny microstructure of dragon fruit leaves can reduce

the deviation of fog flow, and its hydrophilicity can

make the fog water accumulate in the form of droplets,

and the water supply capacity is 100 times faster than

that of a 2D plane. Inspired by this, it developed a 3D

fog catcher composed of 1D fine copper wires, which

mimics the structure of dragon fruit, and the copper

wires are arranged regularly to collect fog water, and

the base material discharges the collected water. The

efficiency of fog water collection is improved.

4.4 Oil Recovery Wastewater

Treatment

Walnut shell filter media is a renewable resource with

many advantages, such as strong adsorption capacity,

oil immersion resistance, high hardness, good

abrasion resistance, strong adsorption and dirt

interception capacity, etc., and it is easy to regenerate

and recycle. It is widely used in water treatment and

is a new generation of filter media that replaces quartz

sand filter media, improves water quality, and reduces

the cost of water treatment. However, after some time,

the adsorbed oil will adhere to the surface of the filter

media, resulting in the adhesion of the filter media,

reducing the rate of oil removal, easily leading to a

dense bed, reducing the filtration channel, reducing

the filter's dirt trapping capacity and filtration effect,

while the backwashing effect deteriorates, and the

filter media is easy to agglomerate, which will

damage the internal structural parts of the filter and

the phenomenon of running material. Therefore,

modification and optimization of walnut shell filter

media is a necessary way to improve the effect of the

filter.

With the rapid development of the discipline of

bionic superwetting, more and more materials with

special wettability have been applied to oily

wastewater treatment, and many new functional

interfacial nanomaterials have been widely used in

industry. Yang, Wang & Jing (2018) et al. used

magnesium bisulfite steaming to modify the surface

of walnut shell material, which made the surface of

walnut shells from hydrophobicity to super

hydrophilicity, which was used for the filtration of

oily wastewater, and the oil removal rate was

stabilized between 78% and 81%, which was 25% to

28% higher than that of the unmodified agent.

Inspired by the coating method for the preparation of

oily wastewater filter media, walnut shell filter media

with different wettability were obtained by modifying

the surface of walnut shell. Subsequently, the

preparation was selected by filtering experimental

studies and analyzed to select the suitable filter media.

The superhydrophilic walnut shell filter media

produced by bionic superwetting technology is

characterized by a simple process, an economically

and environmentally friendly formulation, and has a

good development potential for application in oil

recovery filters.

5 CONCLUSION

This paper systematically reviews the research

progress of biomimetic super-immersed interfacial

materials in recent years, and elaborates the complete

development path from bio-inspiration to interface

design, mechanism analysis, material synthesis, and

application expansion. By their unique interfacial

properties, these materials have demonstrated

significant application potential in the fields of

environmental governance and functional coating

development. This paper also focuses on analyzing

the technological breakthrough of biomimetic

superwettability materials. The researchers not only

revealed the self-cleaning effect of micrometer

papillae and waxy layer on the surface of lotus leaves,

but also deeply analyzed the synergistic enhancement

mechanism of its surface dendritic nanostructures on

superhydrophobic performance. Based on these

findings, the design principles, preparation processes,

and practical applications of bionic superhydrophobic

surfaces have been systematically explored. For

example, the applications of bionic materials in the

fields of fog water collection, anti-ice coating

development, and oil recovery wastewater treatment

have fully verified their technical advantages in

solving practical problems. This paper also provides

an outlook on the future research direction of

superwettability materials.

Although important progress has been made in

this field, as a cutting-edge discipline, its research still

needs to focus on enhancing the durability and

multifunctionality of materials. The main challenges

facing current research include the long-term stability

of materials, their adaptability to complex

environments, and the cost of large-scale preparation.

Future research needs to further optimize material

properties, reduce costs, and expand their

applications in energy, environment, and biomedicine

through interdisciplinary collaborations and

technological innovations to fully unleash the

enormous potential of biomimetic superwettability

materials.

Development and Application of Biomimetic Superwettable Materials

491

REFERENCES

Cao, M., Cheng, H., Ma, Y., Chen, Q., Wang, W., 2025.

Research on bionic structures with mixed wettability

for efficient mist water collection. Plastic Science and

Technology, 53(3), 7–12.

Guo, Z., Zhou, H., 2022. Research progress of high-

efficiency water-collecting biomimetic super-wetting

materials. Applied Chemistry, 39(01), 154–176.

Jiang, C., Han, P., Qi, G., Gao, D., Zhang, X., Qiao, J., 2021.

Research progress of bionic water collection materials

and technologies. Petrochemical Industry, 50(07), 738–

746.

Jiang, L., 2019. Bionic smart interfacial materials: from

superimpregnation to binary synergistic systems. In:

Proceedings of the 17th National Colloid and

Interfacial Chemistry Symposium of the Chinese

Chemical Society (Vol. I), p.15. Institute of Physical

and Chemical Technology, Chinese Academy of

Sciences; Beijing University of Aeronautics and

Astronautics.

Liu, Y., Yang, N., Li, X., Li, J., Pei, W., Xu, Y., Zheng, Y.,

2020. Water harvesting of bioinspired microfibers with

rough spindle-knots from microfluidics. Small, 16(9),

e1901819.

Shi, W., Chen, J., Song, Q., Chen, P., Liu, P., Zhang, Y.,

2023. Preparation of bionic superwettability walnut

shell filter media and its performance in oil recovery

wastewater treatment. Surface Technology, 52(07),

315–324.

Wei, C., Zhao, R., Wang, Y., Shi, L., Li, J., 2019.

Application of bionic super-impregnated materials in

anti-icing coatings. Coatings Industry, 49(04), 80–87.

Yang, Y., Wang, X., Jing, B., Guo, S., Yin, X., 2018. Study

on the effect of modified walnut shell filter on oil

removal from oilfield. Journal of Environmental &

Analytical Toxicology, 08(01).

Zhang, M., 2005. Natural nanostructures of lotus leaf.

Journal of Yunnan University (Natural Science Edition),

(S3), 462–464+483.

Zhang, S., 2019. Condensation properties of

superwettability material surfaces and their application

in fog water collection. Soochow University.

IAMPA 2025 - The International Conference on Innovations in Applied Mathematics, Physics, and Astronomy

492