Are we at the limits of measuring water-repellent surfaces?

How liquids are repelled by a surface, a property called "wettability," is important for engineers to develop aircraft that resist ice formation, for fashion designers developing outdoor gear that repels rain and dirt, and ...

'Sticky tape' for water droplets mimics rose petal

(Phys.org) —A new nanostructured material with applications that could include reducing condensation in airplane cabins and enabling certain medical tests without the need for high tech laboratories has been developed by ...

Discovery could lead to new way of cleaning up oil spills

(Phys.org) —University of Alberta mechanical engineering researchers have shown that a simple glass surface can be made to repel oil underwater. This has huge implications for development of a chemical repellent technology ...

Illuminating the no-man's land of waters' surface

Sylvie Roke, scientist in EPFL's Bioengineering Institute, is refuting previously held theories and offering a new explanation of electrochemical phenomena occurring at the interface between water and a hydrophobic matter. ...

Ions control shape of nanofibers grown on clear substrate

Researchers from North Carolina State University have found a new way to develop straight carbon nanofibers on a transparent substrate. Growing such nanofiber coatings is important for use in novel biomedical research tools, ...

High-maintenance mallards

The shimmery feathers of a male mallard might have a showy quality that appeals to prospective mates, but the water resistance and self-cleaning capabilities of iridescent feathers pale in comparison to those of noniridescent ...

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