The Lotus effect: Superhydrophobic Nanotechnology That Repels Any Kind of Liquid

ProPERLA exterior coatings have been designed to mimic the Lotus effect

The Lotus effect is the plant a self-cleaning mechanism

Water doesn’t stick to lotus leaves.

UltraTech International, Jacksonville Florida, introduces Ultra-Ever Dry, a product with superhydrophobic –water– and oleophobic –hydrocarbon– properties whose technology enables it to repel virtually any liquid. Water, oil, and even viscous substances such as mud or liquid cement are completely repelled from any surface. Once the hydrophobic and oleophobic product has been sprayed on the surface, it creates an air pocket which, thanks to the nanostructure of the product’s particles, prevents any liquid that spills on it, regardless of the amount of viscosity, from penetrating or adhering to the pores of the base material.

To achieve the properties of this revolutionary product, UltraTech International researchers have used patented nanotechnology to prevent adhesion to water, oil, and other liquids, but have also introduced insuperable resistance to abrasion and friction, which, unlike previous technologies, can be used on any type of surfaces requiring greater durability and resistance.

Superhydrophobic surfaces are based on the lotus effect, also known as the lotus anti-adherent effect, discovered in the seventies through microscopic observation of the natural hydrophobic properties of the leaves of the lotus flower. In the mid-nineties, Wilhelm Barthlott professor of systematics and biodiversity at the botanical garden of the University of Bonn, Germany, developed and patented the principle registered as the «lotus effect» through the use of nanotechnology, which is the basis of all surfaces with hydrophobic characteristics.

He conducted a special study of the lotus leaf and how water cleans its surface. Its unique structure and self-purifying properties have encouraged scientists to devise ways of making long-lasting, dirt-repelling products in the form of paints, roof tiles, and what have you.
The method behind the gift process undermines the popular belief that smooth surfaces are best at repelling dirt. When water drops on a smooth leaf surface, it shifts the dirt particles without washing them away. But the lotus is different. The waxy surface of the lotus leaf is actually quite rough. Observed at the microscopic level, it is coated with a thick bumpy layer of wax.

This conspicuous layer of impermeable ‘wax’, or lipids, creates an interface between the plant surface and the surrounding environment. The contact area between water and dirt is reduced, making the leaf highly water repellent, or hydrophobic. The wax is also capable of self-regeneration. When water drops fall on this surface, they roll down, carrying dirt particles with them. Even glue cannot stick to the surface of the lotus leaf. Meanwhile, the bumpy surface of the wax layer creates air gaps on the surface. These gaps prevent dirt particles from sticking to the leaf, leaving them free for the water to wash off.

The SECOND Official Ultra-Ever Dry Video – Superhydrophobic coating – Repels almost any liquid!

These examples illustrate the endless direct applications of the lotus effect in the industrial sector, but its application on fabrics could revolutionize the fashion industry by manufacturing clothes that are impossible to stain and which would therefore not require the use of the washing machine. It would also serve as a barrier to prevent graffiti on the walls and street furniture or public spaces and as an antibacterial surface in biomedicine. The truth is that a lot remains to be said in the coming years about this revolutionary product thanks to the latest advances in nanotechnology, increasing the life of almost any surface, not to mention avoiding unsightly stains on our favorite pair of trousers.

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