Biomimetic ultra-bubble-repellent surfaces based on a self-organized honeycomb film.

The adhesion of bubbles underwater remains the greatest cause of malfunctions in applications such as microfluidics, medical devices and heat exchangers. There is therefore an emerging need for ultra-bubble-repellent surfaces. Inspired by fish scales, which show high bubble repellency due to their hydrophilic nature and surface microstructures, we propose a novel method for preparing ultra-bubble-repellent surfaces by the hydrophilic treatment of self-organized microstructures. When in contact with air bubbles underwater, the artificial hydrophilic microstructured surfaces had a higher contact angle and a lower adhesion force than a flat surface. The mechanism leading to these properties is also investigated. Our method for the fabrication of ultra-bubble-repellent, hydrophilic, microstructured surfaces is simple and cost-effective, opening the way for its application in artificial devices, such as the inner surfaces of tubes, medical devices, and heat exchangers.