Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 16, 2025

Biomimetic Replication of Root Surface Microstructure using Alteration of Soft Lithography
Published on: August 5, 2020
Nonliving dehydrated leaves-inspired surface anti-wrinkling
Xin-Lu Deng1, Kai-Ming Hu1, Wen-Qiang Yuan2
1School of Mechanical Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Mechanical Systems and Vibration, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Abstract:
"Living" organisms in nature exhibit robust and biologically intelligent surface anti-wrinkling. Nonetheless, the complexities of self-regulating stress or structural characteristics through growth or gene expression render the anti-wrinkling of "nonliving" artificial surfaces using bionic principles a pressing yet formidable challenge. Here, inspired by nonliving dehydrated leaves, we propose an on-demand customizable, material invariant, parametric surface anti-wrinkling strategy using leaf vein-imitated boundary curvature-coupled constraints. This strategy allows for an exact surface customization with enhanced anti-wrinkling capability, tailored to specific anti-wrinkling demands while maintaining the original cross-section materials. The defined parameters, anti-wrinkling width and concave radius, are customized by the anti-wrinkling design criteria via the dimensionless dual-correction stiffness model, which are simple linear or quadratic functions of anti-wrinkling demands and cross-section properties. Experiments at different scales and materials validate the correctness of the design criteria. The strategy in this study is effective on diverse wrinkle-prone surfaces at multiple scales and can inform real engineering design of the nonliving artificial surfaces.
Related Concept Videos
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Drying Shrinkage
A portion of this drying shrinkage can be reversed; if the concrete is...
Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells
However, failure of such a system...
Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells
Dehydration Synthesis
Dehydration synthesis (also called a condensation reaction) is the chemical process in which two molecules covalently link together to form a new molecule, along with the release of a water molecule. Many physiologically important compounds form by dehydration synthesis reactions, such as complex carbohydrates, proteins, DNA, and RNA.
Synthesis of carbohydrates
Sugar molecules are covalently linked together by dehydration synthesis. During the reaction, the hydroxyl (-OH) group from...
Introduction to Plant Diversity

