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Mimicking water striders’ legs superhydrophobicity and buoyancy with cabbage leaves and nanotube carpets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 January 2013

Emiliano Lepore ,
Mauro Giorcelli ,
Chiara Saggese ,
Alberto Tagliaferro  and
Nicola Pugno
Emiliano Lepore
Affiliation:
Department of Structural, Geotechnical and Building Engineering, Laboratory of Bio-inspired Nanomechanics “Giuseppe Maria Pugno”, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
Mauro Giorcelli
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
Chiara Saggese
Affiliation:
Chemistry, Material and Chemical Engineering Department “Giulio Natta” (CMIC), Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milano, Italy
Alberto Tagliaferro
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, 10129 Torino, Italy
Nicola Pugno*
Affiliation:
Department of Civil, Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, University of Trento, I-38123 Trento, Italy
*
a)Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: nicola.pugno@unitn.it
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Abstract

In this work, we have studied the superhydrophobicity and buoyancy of two types of nanostructured surfaces: the cabbage leaf and a vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) carpet. The wettability of these surfaces were characterized by contact angle, tilting angle, sliding volume and sliding speed measurements. The results were correlated to the related surface topologies, which were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Buoyancy of different surfaces has been investigated through measurements of the forces acting on the surface. Finally, we demonstrate that cabbage leaves and VACNT carpets have some common features with the water strider’s leg, better understanding the mechanisms of buoyancy related to the structural shape and size of natural or artificial nanostructures.

Keywords

superhydrophobicitybuoyancycarbon nanotubes
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Materials Research , Volume 28 , Issue 7: Focus Issue: De Novo Carbon Nanomaterials: Opportunities and Challenges in a Flat World , 14 April 2013 , pp. 976 - 983
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2013

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References

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