Aqueous and Non-Aqueous Liquids on Superhydrophobic Surfaces:Recent Developments

In this work recent developments regarding design and preparation of superhydrophobic substrates and the wetting behavior of water based solutions, engineered and non-aqueous liquids in contact with such surfaces are summarized, considering application in a range of basic research and industrial fields. The combination of highly water repellent surfaces with engineered liquids is of great interest in opening new trends in liquid handling and manipulation, especially as regards to small volumes. Reference data and related studies are still not sufficient to cover the several aspects of ultralyophobicity, in particular in those fields where the research deals with specific problems related to compatibility or solubility naming a few. The exploitation of these studies in switching between wetting states has been a topic of some investigations, while only very few reports are available on immiscible liquids.