Earthworm-Inspired Ultradurable Superhydrophobic Fabrics from Adaptive Wrinkled Skin

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Engineering
• Textile Technology

Background:

• Earthworms exhibit robust movement in soil due to their wrinkled skin.
• Developing durable and adaptable materials is crucial for advanced applications.
• Superhydrophobic surfaces offer unique properties but often lack durability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer an ultradurable superhydrophobic fabric by mimicking earthworm's wrinkled skin.
• To investigate the role of adaptive, soft wrinkled poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) skins in fabric durability.
• To explore the self-healing properties of the developed superhydrophobic fabric.

Main Methods:

• Creating uniform wrinkles on woven fabric fibers using poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) coating.
• Inducing a cross-linking gradient in PDMS via Argon (Ar) plasma treatment.
• Evaluating fabric durability through standard laundry cycles and rubbing tests under pressure.

Main Results:

• The engineered fabric demonstrated extraordinary durability, withstanding 800 laundry cycles or 1000 rubbing cycles at 44.8 kPa.
• The combination of surface topography (wrinkles) and underlying viscoelasticity enhanced robustness.
• The superhydrophobic fabrics exhibited self-healing capabilities upon heating or plasma treatment.

Conclusions:

• Engineering soft skins with periodic submicron topography and gradient modulus is a viable pathway for creating ultradurable textiles.
• The developed superhydrophobic fabric offers a promising solution for multifunctional and long-lasting wearable applications.
• This biomimetic approach provides novel insights for designing robust and adaptive materials.