Biominerals exhibit morphologies, hierarchical ordering and properties that invariably surpass those of their synthetic counterparts. A key feature of these materials, which sets them apart from synthetic crystals, is their nanocomposite structure, which derives from intimate association of organic molecules with the mineral host. We here demonstrate the production of artificial biominerals where single crystals of calcite occlude a remarkable 13 wt% of 20 nm anionic diblock copolymer micelles, which act as 'pseudo-proteins'. The synthetic crystals exhibit analogous texture and defect structures to biogenic calcite crystals and are harder than pure calcite. Further, the micelles are specifically adsorbed on {104} faces and undergo a change in shape on incorporation within the crystal lattice. This system provides a unique model for understanding biomineral formation, giving insight into both the mechanism of occlusion of biomacromolecules within single crystals, and the relationship between the macroscopic mechanical properties of a crystal and its microscopic structure.

A novel, single‐step and single‐component bio‐inspired fabrication method of hierarchical superoleophobic surfaces is presented. The method consists in thermal deposition of self‐assembling ultra‐low‐surface‐energy fluorinated wax on diverse surfaces. The thermal deposition results in crystalline, oriented, three‐dimensional hierarchical structures with high surface roughness and re‐entrant curvature, which in combination with the low surface energy of the fluorinated wax results in high contact angles of low‐surface‐tension liquids and low contact‐angle hysteresis (CAH) values (Δθ). The values achieved for Δθ are below 10° even for ethanol, which exhibits a surface tension as low as 22.4 mN·m−1. In addition to their superoleophobic properties our substrates exhibit extreme superhydrophobic qualities (CAH as low as 2° and contact angle >170°) with exceptional surface stability over many months. The proposed fabrication method may be utilized for a variety of applications where non‐wetting of low‐surface‐tension liquids is required, for example non‐staining surfaces and antifouling. The ease of fabrication and the variety of substrates that can be modified will undoubtedly widen its use.

One of the most fascinating properties of materials in nature is the superhydrophobic and self‐cleaning capabilities of different plant surfaces. This is usually achieved by the hydrophobic cuticles that are made of cutin and contain wax crystals both within them and on their surfaces. Here, bioinspired n‐hexatriacontane wax films are deposited via thermal evaporation and it is shown that the surface evolves in time via self‐assembly. This leads to a dramatic change in the wetting properties with a transition from hydrophobic to superhydrophobic characteristics, which takes place within several days at room temperature. This phenomenon is investigated and strain‐induced recrystallization is proposed to be the mechanism for it. This work could become the basis for the inspiration and production of tuned, time‐dependant, temperature‐sensitive, variable‐wettability surfaces.

Our bioinspired, superhydrophobic surfaces show exceptional ability to passively inhibit the biofilm formation of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria over a 7 day period.