Beilstein J. Nanotechnol.2023,14, 850–856, doi:10.3762/bjnano.14.69
of superhydrophobic pads covered with nanofur for the efficient clean-up of oil spills”. Nanofurs are densely packed hairy surfaces which demonstrate superhydrophobicity, functioning similarly to the lotus leaf whose science we are celebrating with this thematic issue. As with many biomimetic
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Figure 1:
Biological archetype and eponym of the lotus effect: The sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). a) Photo ...
Beilstein J. Nanotechnol.2022,13, 1228–1239, doi:10.3762/bjnano.13.102
fabricate such a surface featuring the lotus effect, solely through structuring, is hot pulling of a polymer surface. This technique provides the so-called nanofur, which consists of a polymer surface densely covered with a polymeric fur of extremely thin hair-like structures. Here, we present a continuous
roll-to-roll process for the fabrication of a thin polymeric film covered with nanofur from polypropylene. Our process enables structuring of large areas of the order of square meters using industry standard machinery. This opens up many possible applications for nanofur that could previously not be
realized because of the limitations of conventional hot embossing regarding structurable area. The structured film is subsequently processed into an exemplary product, that is, so-called nanopads; polymeric sandwiches of polypropylene film covered with nanofur and filled with an oil-absorbing material
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Figure 1:
Schematic showing the roll-to-roll fabriction of a thin nanofur film by the example of PP and COC. ...