Wetting: Bumps lead the way

Author: Manu Prakash

Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/nmat4612

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat4612

Abstract: Surfaces with slippery asymmetric bumps significantly increase water droplet condensation and shedding.

As is evident from early morning dew, grass blades can pull water out of the air. In fact, the geometry of any given surface determines the efficiency of water condensation. But what shapes lead to maximum water harvesting? Inspired by the surfaces of water-harvesting beetles and plants, Joanna Aizenberg and colleagues1 describe in Nature the design and fabrication of surfaces, featuring asymmetric millimetric bumps coated with a slippery lubricant, that lead to the highest water collection efficiency reported so far for passive vapour condensation…