Since ancient times humans observed animal and plants features and tried to adapt them according to their own needs. Biomimetics represents the foundation of many inventions from various fields: From transportation devices (helicopter, airplane, submarine) and flying techniques, to sports’ wear industry (swimming suits, scuba diving gear, Velcro closure system), bullet proof vests made from Kevlar etc. It is true that nature provides numerous noteworthy models (shark skin, spider web, lotus leaves), referring both to the plant and animal kingdom. This review paper summarizes a few of “nature’s interventions” in human evolution, regarding understanding of surface wettability and development of innovative special surfaces. Empirical models are described in order to reveal the science behind special wettable surfaces (superhydrophobic /superhydrophilic). Materials and methods used in order to artificially obtain special wettable surfaces are described in correlation with plants’ and animals’ unique features. Emphasis is placed on joining superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces, with important applications in cell culturing, microorganism isolation/separation and molecule screening techniques. Bio-inspired wettability is presented as a constitutive part of traditional devices/systems, intended to improve their characteristics and extend performances.

Liquid marbles are versatile structures demonstrating a pseudo-Leidenfrost wetting regime formed by encapsulating microscale volumes of liquid in a particle shell. The liquid core is completely separated from the exterior through air pockets. The external phase consists of hydrophobic particles, in most cases, or hydrophilic ones distributed as aggregates. Their interesting features arise from the double solid-fluid character. Thus, these interesting formations, also known as “dry waters”, have gained attention in surface science. This review paper summarizes a series of proposed formulations, fabrication techniques and properties, in correlation with already discovered and emerging applications. A short general review of the surface properties of powders (contact angle, superficial tension) is proposed, followed by a presentation of liquid marbles’ properties (superficial characteristics, elasticity, self-propulsion etc.). Finally, applications of liquid marbles are discussed, mainly as helpful and yet to be exploited structures in the pharmaceutical and medical field. Innovative pharmaceutical forms (Pickering emulsions) are also means of use taken into account as applications which need further investigation.

With the help of biomimetics, superficial characteristics were transposed, through various methods, onto artificially obtained materials. Many industrial fields applied surface architecture modifications as improvements of classic materials/methods. The medico-pharmaceutical, biochemical, transportation, and textile fields are few examples of industrial areas welcoming a "structural change." Antibioadhesion was widely exploited by means of antibacterial or self-cleaning fabrics and cell culturing/screening/isolation. Anti-icing, antireflective, and anticorrosion materials/coatings gained attention in the transportation and optical device fields. Interdisciplinary approaches on extreme wettability include "solid-fluid" formations called liquid marbles, which will be further discussed as a superhydrophobic behavior exponent.