Bioinspired Superwetting Nanomaterials and Beyond: Ultralow Energy Consumption in High-Efficiency Bio-Synthesis,...

This Perspective first briefly summarizes the progress of superwettability research in the group over the past 25 years, starting by studying the effect of nanostructure and micro/nanostructure on surface wettability. The intrinsic wetting thresholds for different liquids according to the transition point of superlyophilicty and superlyophobicity on nanostructured surface are experimentally determined, and over 10 superwetting interfacial materials are invented. Recently, the study of dynamic superwettability is focused, which refers to the property of liquids superspreading on 1D or 2D surfaces with micro/nano structures, or partial ordered flow in micro/nano channels, and even the ordered flow of ions and molecules in biological ion channels/water channels/enzyme channels. Furthermore, a crucial question in life science is raised: how can life systems achieve ultralow energy consumption (UEC) in high-efficiency bio-synthesis, energy conversion, and information transmission? It is revealed that the ordered directional collective motion of ions/molecules in biological nanochannels is the physicochemical essence to achieve these UEC processes, and provides a summary and perspective on high-efficiency bio-synthesis, energy conversion, and information transmission in artificial systems.