Bioinspired nanofur, covered by a dense layer of randomly distributed high aspect ratio nano- and microhairs, possesses superhydrophobic and air-retaining properties. Nanofur is fabricated using a highly scalable hot pulling method in which softened polymer is elongated with a heated sandblasted plate. Here we investigate the stability of the underwater air layer retained by the irregular nanofur topography by applying hydraulic pressure to the nanofur kept underwater, and evaluate the gradual changes in the air-covered area. Furthermore, the drag reduction resulting from the nanofur air retention is characterized by measuring the pressure drop across channels with and without nanofur.

Many plants and insects possess multi‐functional surfaces covered by dense nanohair. Such a nanofur is of high interest for various biomimetic applications like self‐healing, air retention, and oil/water separation. Here, we introduce a highly scalable and competitive molding technique for the fabrication of biomimetic nanofur. With this method, we pull nanofur out of flat polycarbonate and tune its wettability from hydrophilic to superhydrophobic. By mechanically structuring these samples we create various devices suitable for microfluidics. The nanofur can be also used for the fabrication of self‐healing surfaces inspired by pitcher plants as well as for air‐retaining surfaces mimicking the water fern Salvinia minima. Finally, we utilize the nanofur for oil/water separation and the cleaning of oil spills.

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Wood-based superhydrophobic and underwater superoleophobic surfaces are fabricated using a scalable replication technique. Ligninbased polymer is microstructured with a heated mold, resulting in a superhydrophobic/superoleophilic surface covered with microhairs.

All relevant 13C NMR signals of two series of seven homogeneous ethylene–propylene copolymers were used to fit the second‐order Markov reactivity ratios of the catalysts and the theoretical feeds. The copolymers cover a very broad range of comonomer incorporations, from about 10 to 93%, and show only primary (1,2) insertions. For both series, solutions are found with reliabilities >>99.5%. The reactivity ratios, r112 = 2.54, r121 = 0.12, r212 = 2.05, and r221 = 0.29 for the used Zirconocone and r112 = 1.69, r121 = 0.32, r212 = 1.56, and r221 = 0.51 for the hafnocene, provide direct information about the metallocenes, the kinetics, and the chain microstructure. With these results, the direct peak method demonstrates that the use of all relevant 13C NMR peaks enables accurate second‐order Markov modeling, revealing subtle differences between copolymers. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 44: 747–755, 2006