Fluorine-free super-repellency to water and organic liquids

Super-repellent surfaces, characterized by high contact angles and extremely low sliding angles for both water and organic liquids, hold potential for applications in self-cleaning, anti-fouling, anti-icing and oil-water separation. In particular, fluorine-free super-repellent materials have attracted attention owing to their ability to deliver comparable performance to fluorinated systems while minimizing environmental and health risks. Through microscale or nanoscale surface structuring and fluorine-free low-surface-energy chemistries, robust repellency can be achieved across diverse substrates, offering broad material compatibility and enhanced sustainability. The design and fabrication of these surfaces deepen our understanding of surface chemistry, providing perspectives on solid-liquid interactions and informing the development of interfacial theories. This Review explores recent theoretical and technological advances in fluorine-free super-repellency. It also outlines key challenges and discusses future directions, including the development of durable and environmentally friendly fabrication strategies, as well as emerging applications.