Slippery lubricant-infused surfaces (SLIPS) have shown great promise for antifrosting and anti-icing. However, small length scales associated with frost dendrites exert immense capillary suction pressure on the lubricant. This pressure depletes the lubricant film and is detrimental to the functionality of SLIPS. To prevent lubricant depletion, we demonstrate that interstitial spacing in SLIPS needs to be kept below those found in frost dendrites. Densely packed nanoparticles create the optimally sized nanointerstitial features in SLIPS (Nano-SLIPS). The capillary pressure stabilizing the lubricant in Nano-SLIPS balances or exceeds the capillary suction pressure by frost dendrites. We term this concept capillary balancing. Three-dimensional spatial analysis via confocal microscopy reveals that lubricants in optimally structured Nano-SLIPS are not affected throughout condensation (0 °C), extreme frosting (−20 °C to −100 °C), and traverse ice-shearing (−10 °C) tests. These surfaces preserve low ice adhesion (10−30 kPa) over 50 icing cycles, demonstrating a design principle for next-generation anti-icing surfaces.

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Wet and dry foams are prevalent in many industries, ranging from the food processing and commercial cosmetic sectors to industries such as chemical and oil-refining. Uncontrolled foaming results in product losses, equipment downtime or damage and cleanup costs. To speed up defoaming or enable anti-foaming, liquid oil or hydrophobic particles are usually added. However, such additives may need to be later separated and removed for environmental reasons and product quality. Here, we show that passive defoaming or active anti-foaming is possible simply by the interaction of foam with chemically or morphologically modified surfaces, of which the superamphiphobic variant exhibits superior performance. They significantly improve retraction of highly stable wet foams and prevention of growing dry foams, as quantified for beer and aqueous soap solution as model systems. Microscopic imaging reveals that amphiphobic nano-protrusions directly destabilize contacting foam bubbles, which can favorably vent through air gaps warranted by a Cassie wetting state. This mode of interfacial destabilization offers untapped potential for developing efficient, low-power and sustainable foam and froth management.

Frost is ubiquitously observed in nature whenever warmer and more humid air encounters colder than melting point surfaces ( e . g ., morning dew frosting). However, frost formation is problematic as it damages infrastructure, roads, crops, and the efficient operation of industrial equipment ( i . e ., heat exchangers, cooling fins). While lubricant-infused surfaces offer promising antifrosting properties, underlying mechanisms of frost formation and its consequential effect on frost-to-surface dynamics remain elusive. Here, we monitor the dynamics of condensation frosting on micro- and hierarchically structured surfaces (the latter combines micro- with nano- features) infused with lubricant, temporally and spatially resolved using laser scanning confocal microscopy. The growth dynamics of water droplets differs for micro- and hierarchically structured surfaces, by hindered drop coalescence on the hierarchical ones. However, the growth and propagation of frost dendrites follow the same scaling on both surface types. Frost propagation is accompanied by a reorganization of the lubricant thin film. We numerically quantify the experimentally observed flow profile using an asymptotic long-wave model. Our results reveal that lubricant reorganization is governed by two distinct driving mechanisms, namely: (1) frost propagation speed and (2) frost dendrite morphology. These in-depth insights into the coupling between lubricant flow and frost formation/propagation enable an improved control over frosting by adjusting the design and features of the surface.

Controlling bubble motion or passively bursting bubbles using solid interfaces is advantageous in numerous industrial applications including flotation, catalysis, electrochemical processes, and microfluidics. Current research has explored the formation, dissolution, pinning, and rupturing of bubbles on different surfaces. However, the ability to tune and control the rate of bubble bursting is not yet achieved. Scaling down surface‐induced bubble bursting to just a few milliseconds is important for any application. In this work, the hierarchical structure of superamphiphobic surfaces is tuned in order to rapidly rupture contacting bubbles. Surfaces prepared using liquid flame spray show ultrafast bubble bursting (down to 2 ms) and superior durability. The coatings demonstrate excellent mechanical and chemical stability even in the presence of surface‐active species. Air from the ruptured bubble is absorbed into the aerophilic Cassie‐state. Long‐term applicability is demonstrated by preventing the accumulation of air in the plastron via a connection of the plastron to the environment. The times recorded for bubble rupture and complete reorganization of air are reduced by approximately a factor of 3 compared to previously reported values. The concept is utilized to passively control surfactant‐rich foam in froth flotation. Material collection efficiency increased by more than 60 times compared to controls.

Super liquid repellent coatings are among the most promising candidates for selfcleaning surfaces for indoor and outdoor applications. However, the characteristic nano-and micro-scale protrusions can easily be damaged. Improving the durability of these coatings belongs to the most important challenges to increase the coating's application potential. Here, we show that commercial polyester fabrics coated with silicone nanofilaments maintain their self-cleaning properties throughout repeated freezing-unfreezing cycles, ironing, and mechanical stress. The coating improves the heat resistance of the fabric. The surface keeps its water repellency until the fabric is almost destroyed by scratching with sandpaper or a metal sponge. The excellent performance results from the synergetic effects of i) the interwoven structure of the fabric and ii) the intrinsic hydrophobic and flexible nature of the fabric and of the nanofilaments coating. The combination of these factors generates a product which overcomes the most claimed drawbacks of super liquid repellent coatings.

Methods for fabricating super-liquid-repellent surfaces have typically relied on perfluoroalkyl substances. However, growing concerns about the environmental and health effects of perfluorinated compounds have caused increased interest in fluorine-free alternatives. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is most promising. In contrast to fluorinated surfaces, PDMS-coated surfaces showed only superhydrophobicity. This raises the question whether the poor liquid repellency is caused by PDMS interacting with the probe liquid or whether it results from inappropriate surface morphology. Here, we demonstrate that a welldesigned two-tier structure consisting of silicon dioxide nanoparticles combined with surface-tethered PDMS chains allows superliquid-repellency toward a range of low surface tension liquids. Drops of water−ethanol solutions with surface tensions as low as 31.0 mN m −1 easily roll and bounce off optimized surface structures. Friction force measurements demonstrate excellent surface homogeneity and easy mobility of drops. Our work shows that fluorine-free super-liquid-repellent surfaces can be achieved using scalable fabrication methods and environmentally friendly surface functionalization.

We investigate the shrinkage of a surface-grafted water-swollen hydrogel under shear flows of oils by laser scanning confocal microscopy.