Inspired by biointerfaces, such as the surfaces of lotus leaves and pitcher plants, researchers have developed innovative strategies for controlling surface wettability and transparency. In particular, great success has been achieved in obtaining low adhesion and high transmittance via the introduction of a liquid layer to form liquid-infused surfaces. Furthermore, smart surfaces that can change their surface properties according to external stimuli have recently attracted substantial interest. As some of the best-performing smart surface materials, slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs), which are super-repellent, demonstrate the successful achievement of switchable adhesion and tunable transparency that can be controlled by a graded mechanical stimulus. However, despite considerable efforts, producing temperature-responsive, super-repellent surfaces at ambient temperature and pressure remains difficult because of the use of nonreactive lubricant oil as a building block in previously investigated repellent surfaces. Therefore, the present study focused on developing multifunctional materials that dynamically adapt to temperature changes. Here, we demonstrate temperature-activated solidifiable/liquid paraffin-infused porous surfaces (TA-SLIPSs) whose transparency and control of water droplet movement at room temperature can be simultaneously controlled. The solidification of the paraffin changes the surface morphology and the size of the light-transmission inhibitor in the lubricant layer; as a result, the control over the droplet movement and the light transmittance at different temperatures is dependent on the solidifiable/liquid paraffin mixing ratio. Further study of such temperature-responsive, multifunctional systems would be valuable for antifouling applications and the development of surfaces with tunable optical transparency for innovative medical applications, intelligent windows, and other devices.

Liquid‐infused coatings are because of their fluidity of considerable technological importance for hydrophobic materials with multifunctional properties, such as self‐healing, transmittance, and durability. However, conventional coatings absorb viscous liquid into their sponge‐like structured surface, causing uncontrollable liquid layer formation or liquid transport. In addition, a hydrophobic‐liquid‐retained surface can cause instability and lead to limitation of the hydrophobicity, optical properties, and flexibility due to liquid layer evaporation. Here, we report a strategy for controllable liquid‐layer formation on smooth surfaces (R rms < 1 nm) by π ‐electron interactions. Using this technology, superoleophilic wetting of decyltrimethoxysilane results in the design of a surface with π ‐interaction liquid adsorption, smoothness, and hydrophobicity (SPLASH), that shows extraordinary hydrophobicity (CAH = 0.75°), and stable repellence for various water‐based solutions including micrometer‐sized mist. The smoothness of the solid under a liquid layer enabled the SPLASH to exhibit stable hydrophobicity, transparency (>90%), structure damage durability and flexibility, regardless of the liquid layer thickness by bending or evaporation. Furthermore, the patterned π ‐electrons' localization on the smooth coating enables controlled liquid‐layer formation and liquid transport. This strategy may provide new insights into designing functional liquid surfaces and our designed surface with multifunctional properties could be developed for various applications.

Microstructured calcium alginate (Ca-Alg) hydrogel exhibiting superhydrophilicity and underwater superoleophobicity is prepared for high speed and highly efficient oil/water separation. The fabricated mesh works in highly acidic or basic, salty, and high-temperature environments because of the stability of Ca-Alg. Moreover, nonwoven fabric used as a template for Ca-Alg is capable of separation of an oil-in-water emulsion.

Minimally invasive medical operations, especially endoscope operations, have attracted much attention and play a major role in modern medicine.

In this letter, we introduce a novel liquid manipulation strategy to design dynamically hydrophobic and statically hydrophobic/hydrophilic patterned surfaces using an "omniphobicity"-based technique. The surfaces guide the sliding direction of a droplet in the presence of a statically hydrophilic area where the droplet does not stick on the transport path significantly enhancing the fluidic system transport efficiency. The concept of dynamically hydrophobic and statically hydrophobic/hydrophilic patterned surfaces in conjunction with omniphobic patterning techniques having surface multifunctionality, we believe, has potential not only for fluidic applications but also for future material engineering development.