Design of a biomimetic, small-scale artificial leaf surface for the study of environmental interactions

• Miriam Anna Huth,
• Axel Huth,
• Lukas Schreiber and
• Kerstin Koch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2022, 13, 944–957, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.83

• increasing magnifications; (c) orange: cuticle, green: cell wall, blue: cytoplasm, (d) orange: epicuticular wax crystals, brown: cuticle. (1) Reduction of arthropod pest attachment, (2) complex functions of trichomes, for example, generation of air turbulences, (3) host-pathogen recognition/signaling for

Polarity in cuticular ridge development and insect attachment on leaf surfaces of Schismatoglottis calyptrata (Araceae)

• Venkata A. Surapaneni,
• Tobias Aust,
• Thomas Speck and
• Marc Thielen

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 1326–1338, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.98

• epidermal cell wall are linked by a transition region that is rich in cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin [1][2][3][4][5]. The outer peripheral layer of the cuticle may show various microscopic morphological structures such as cuticular ridges, epicuticular wax crystals, trichomes, and hairy structures [4

• hydrophobicity of the leaf surfaces [8][9]. On petals, they might act additionally as diffraction gratings producing structural colors to attract pollinators [10][11][12]. Ridges are relatively robust compared with other cuticular morphologies [8] such as epicuticular wax crystals. They may also provide

Self-assembly of Eucalyptus gunnii wax tubules and pure ß-diketone on HOPG and glass

• Miriam Anna Huth,
• Axel Huth and
• Kerstin Koch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2021, 12, 939–949, doi:10.3762/bjnano.12.70

• ]. As early as 1871, de Bary proposed the designation “crystal” for the wax structures [10]. This hypothesis was later verified by X-ray diffraction [11][12]. The most common crystalline structure of epicuticular wax crystals is the orthorhombic order [13]. Studies of growing plant waxes showed that wax

Surfactant-induced enhancement of droplet adhesion in superhydrophobic soybean (Glycine max L.) leaves

• Oliver Hagedorn,
• Ingo Fleute-Schlachter,
• Hans Georg Mainx,
• Viktoria Zeisler-Diehl and
• Kerstin Koch

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2017, 8, 2345–2356, doi:10.3762/bjnano.8.234

• surfactants SEM images of the epicuticular wax crystals (EWCs) after treatment of leaf surfaces for 240 s with different surfactants showed alterations in different extensions, whereas the EWCs of water-treated leaves showed no structural changes. Alterations in the EWC structure after contact with the

• revealed the superhydrophobic properties of Glycine max L. leaves (CA 162.4° ± 3.6°). The superhydrophobic properties of soybean leaves are established by its surface sculptures built up by convex polygonal cells and superimposed epicuticular wax crystals with its hydrophobic surface chemistry. Due to the

When the going gets rough – studying the effect of surface roughness on the adhesive abilities of tree frogs

• Niall Crawford,
• Thomas Endlein,
• Jonathan T. Pham,
• Mathis Riehle and
• W. Jon P. Barnes

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2016, 7, 2116–2131, doi:10.3762/bjnano.7.201

• distributed over their surfaces. Indeed, cuticular folds have been demonstrated to be slippery for beetles [9][10], and stomata also contribute to a leaf’s roughness. Additionally, on some plants (e.g., the stems of Macaranga trees), one may find epicuticular wax crystals [11]. In Macaranga, the resulting

• ., Macaranga trees [12]) or attempt to capture them (e.g., pitcher plants [47]). In both cases, the surfaces will be slippery or otherwise non-adhesive. In many cases, the slipperiness is produced by surfaces covered by epicuticular wax crystals, which break off, contaminating the insect’s adhesive pads [48

Impact of cell shape in hierarchically structured plant surfaces on the attachment of male Colorado potato beetles (Leptinotarsa decemlineata)

• Bettina Prüm,
• Robin Seidel,
• Holger Florian Bohn and
• Thomas Speck

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2012, 3, 57–64, doi:10.3762/bjnano.3.7

• , leading to hierarchical surfaces if both levels are present. While it has been shown that epicuticular wax crystals and cuticular folds strongly reduce insect attachment, and that smooth papillate epidermal cells in petals improve the grip of pollinators, the impact of hierarchical surface structuring of

• papillate cell shape, covered either with flat films of wax, epicuticular wax crystals or with cuticular folds. On surfaces possessing either superimposed wax crystals or cuticular folds we found traction forces to be almost one order of magnitude lower than on surfaces covered only with flat films of wax

• or papillate cells enhancing attachment and both wax crystals or cuticular folds reducing attachment. However, the overall magnitude of traction force mainly depends on the presence or absence of superimposed microstructuring. Keywords: cuticular folds; epicuticular wax crystals; insect–plant

The effect of surface anisotropy in the slippery zone of Nepenthes alata pitchers on beetle attachment

• Elena V. Gorb and
• Stanislav N. Gorb

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 302–310, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.35

• microscopic epicuticular wax crystals on top of both cell types (Figure 1A and Figure 1D). Numerous lunate cells (477.3 ± 46.02 per mm2, N = 3) are regularly distributed singly over the surface, whereas wax crystals form a continuous coverage. Lunate cells have a special crescent shape with their ends pointed

Superhydrophobicity in perfection: the outstanding properties of the lotus leaf

• Hans J. Ensikat,
• Petra Ditsche-Kuru,
• Christoph Neinhuis and
• Wilhelm Barthlott

Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 2011, 2, 152–161, doi:10.3762/bjnano.2.19

• been known for a long time that plant surfaces covered with epicuticular wax crystals are water repellent, and that this feature is enhanced when the epidermis has additional structures such as papillae or hairs [5][6]. Neinhuis and Barthlott (1997) [7] presented an overview of more than 200 species

• contact angles between 160 and 163°. Even some species with flat epidermis cells but with a dense layer of epicuticular wax crystals, such as Brassica oleracea or some Eucalyptus species, can exhibit contact angles >160°. Thus, the contact angle alone is not suitable for a differentiated comparison of

• papillae: The highest water repellency occurs when the water drops touch the tips of the epicuticular wax crystals only. Thus, the best properties are found on leaves with an intact coating of wax crystals on the epidermal cells (Figure 6). The waxes are, however, relatively soft materials so that older