Scientists have discovered a new material that mimics rose petals and acts like "sticky tape" for water droplets.
Researchers from the University of Sydney have discovered a new nano-structured material that mimics the wet properties of rose petals and acts like "sticky tape" for water droplets. The new material can be used to reduce condensation in airplane cabins and help in conducting certain medical tests without the need for high-tech laboratories.
"The newly discovered material uses raspberry particles - so-called because of their appearance - which can trap tiny water droplets and prevent them from rolling off surfaces, even when that surface is turned upside down," said Dr Andrew Telford from the University's School of Chemistry and lead author of the research recently published in the journal, Chemistry of Materials.
Roses are highly repellent to water and according to scientists, the reason behind this is largely because of the structure of the rose petals' surface. For the study, researchers replicated the surface of rose petals by using raspberry particles, which were assembled together in a lab using spherical micro- and nanoparticles. They observed that water droplets placed on these raspberry particles were not able to trickle down, even when placed upside down. Researchers are currently working on using this new material to structure surfaces and control how they react to water.
"This means we will be able to design a surface that does whatever you need it to do. We could also design a surface that stays dry forever, never needs cleaning or able to repel bacteria or even prevent mould and fungi growth," Dr Telford said. "We could then tweak the same structure by changing its composition so it forces water to spread very quickly. This could be used on quick-dry walls and roofs which would also help to cool down houses. This can only be achieved with a very clear understanding of the science behind the chemical properties and construction of the surface."
Researchers of this new study reveal that they are now in a position where they can create raspberry particles in large qualities without having to build special equipment for the production.
