Stimuli‐Responsive Bioinspired Materials for Controllable Liquid Manipulation: Principles, Fabrication, and Applications

Abstract

AbstractMany emerging interfacial technologies, such as self‐cleaning surfaces, oil/water separation, water collection, and microfluidics, are essentially liquid manipulation processes. In this regard, micro‐nanostructures of the living organisms are highly preferable, by virtue of the evolutionary pressure and the adaptation to the specific environments, to inspire the optimization of man‐made interfaces. With the increasing demands of modern life, research, and industry, intelligent materials with stimuli‐responsive liquid manipulation functions have gained substantial attention from interfacial scientists. This review introduces the recent progress in the development of stimuli‐responsive liquid‐manipulating materials with bioinspired structures and surface chemistry according to two classified manipulation modes: (i) smart manipulation of liquid wetting behaviors, including lyophobic/lyophilic and superlyophobic/superlyophilic, and (ii) smart manipulation of liquid motion behaviors, including coalescence, transportation, rolling/adhesion, and sliding/pinning. At the beginning of the presentation of each classification, the theoretical basis and the sources of inspiration are introduced comprehensively to ensure a better understanding. This review mainly focuses on the mechanisms, fabrication, and applications of the state‐of‐the‐art works related to smart and biomimetic liquid‐manipulating materials. Finally, conclusions and future prospects are provided, and the remaining problems and promising breakthroughs in fabricating large‐scale, cost‐effective, and efficient smart liquid‐manipulating materials are outlined.