Self-assembly of supraparticles on a lubricated-superamphiphobic patterned surface

Abstract

Self-assembly of supraparticles consisting of diverse nanoparticles by evaporating the suspension droplets on a surface have high potential in many applications. However, simultaneously preventing adhesion-induced damage during removal of the supraparticles from the surface and the high-throughput synthesis of supraparticles is challenging. Herein, to break through the bottleneck, we proposed an ingenious method that employs a biomimetic lubricated-superamphiphobic patterned surface (L-SAH surface) inspired by the synergism of a ‘nepenthes cage’, ‘springtail skin’, and ‘Namib beetle skin’. On the L-SAH surface, discrete lubricant-infused areas were integrated on a superamphiphobic background. The lubricant-controlled contact angle hysteresis trap (L-CAHT) not only precisely anchored the droplets to eliminate the barely-controllable droplet slide, but also distinctly decreased the adhesion of the droplet or inner material to the solid surface because of lubricant separation. Moreover, heterogeneous supraparticles with high replicability and flexibility were acquired via the L-SAH surface. As a proof of concept, the magnet-controlled maneuverability of magnetic supraparticles and the catalytic activity of photocatalytic supraparticles were proven. With the surprising merits of flexibility, simplicity, and high precision, our promising work would open a new and significant avenue for synthesizing functional supraparticles used in environics, chromatography, catalysis, pharmacy, and energy science.