Functional surfaces exhibiting super-wettability offer great opportunities to develop advanced science and technology. To unite the advantages of different surfaces with special wettability, super-wettabilities integration has been proposed and fabricated, showing a cooperative and complementary effect on material properties. Here we discuss how to combine different wettabilities and what functions can be achieved based on the super-wettability integration. We define super-wettabilities integration as a unified system combining different superwetting materials or assembling superwetting materials with other functional materials. Four types of super-wettability integrations are summarized as (1) surfaces with microscopic wettability-patterns; (2) surfaces with macroscopic wettability-patterns; (3) Janus interfaces materials with asymmetric wettability; (4) specific wettability boundary. The functions and application of those integrated systems are reviewed, especially for the use in fluids control, vapor condensation, fog collection, etc. The principle of designing the integration is also depicted as manipulating the significant difference of surface energy between two surfaces. On the basis of current research, we finally propose some of the possible designs, and make a prospect of these multifunctional super-wettabilities integration. 

Surface Innovations

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1680/jsuin.16.00004

Published Online: May 25, 2016