Nano material and rose petals

Scientists have devised a special material that can be coated on surfaces, keeping them dry or wet, making the surface never need to be cleaned.

The material was published in the journal Chemistry of Materials with promising applications such as minimizing condensation in the cabin of the aircraft, keeping the glass from getting wet and blurry, cooling buildings through evaporated or even used to create good experimental environments in remote areas without the need for on-site laboratories.

The nanoscale structure is shaped like a raspberry. (Photo: abc.net.au)

The head of the project is Professor Andrew Telford of the University of Sydney (Australia). "We call this material raspberry nanoparticles because of its structure of spherical nanoparticles connected to one another in the shape of a raspberry. These nanoparticles can be described as a special adhesive tape for water droplets, keeping them from rolling over the surface, even when turned upside down. ' Professor Telford and his colleagues have been inspired by rose petals, which are capable of holding droplets of water into round, insoluble particles.

This nanostructural material can have many different properties when it is composed of different molecules. In the experiment, the researchers used polystyrene to produce a waterproof surface. If the material is made of nanoparticles, fluorinated polymers (fluorine polymers) will provide a surface that can absorb and retain water. In this way, they can create surfaces that are always dry, no need to clean, anti-bacterial and moldy. This material can be used in medical and biological experiments.

This material is not too complex to make large amounts of paint and can form a coating that can be easily coated on surfaces.