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Tailoring Superwettability Through Bioinspired Reentrant Microstructures
Yuning Zhou1,2, Wenwan Shi1,2, Xiaolu Sun1,2
1State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.
Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
|July 23, 2026
Summary
Bioinspired reentrant microstructures enable precise control over surface wettability for advanced liquid manipulation. These structures are key to developing superwettable surfaces for diverse applications.
Area of Science:
- Surface science and nanotechnology
- Materials science
- Biomimetics
Background:
- Superwettability, an extreme wetting regime, involves surfaces with high fluid affinity or repellency.
- Surface chemistry and microstructural geometry are critical for controlling wettability.
- Bioinspired reentrant microstructures have shown promise in enhancing liquid repellency and directional transport.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comprehensively review structure-driven superwettability, focusing on reentrant microstructures.
- To elucidate the physical mechanisms governing wettability regulation.
- To assess fabrication strategies and highlight applications of superwettable surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Review of fundamental physical mechanisms of wettability regulation.
- Critical assessment of fabrication strategies: silicon micromachining, replica molding, 3D printing.
- Highlighting applications and emerging strategies for smart liquid manipulation.
Main Results:
- Reentrant microstructures, both symmetric and asymmetric, are central to achieving controlled superwettability.
- Fabrication techniques like micromachining, replica molding, and 3D printing enable the creation of these structures.
- Applications span microreactions, separations, liquid harvesting, and fluidic-electronic systems.
Conclusions:
- Structure-driven superwettability, particularly with reentrant microstructures, offers advanced liquid manipulation capabilities.
- Future directions include AI-assisted design, novel materials, scalable manufacturing, and next-generation applications.
- Stimuli-responsive reentrant microstructures pave the way for smart liquid manipulation.
