Biomimetic Superlyophobic Metallic Surfaces: Focusing on Their Fabrication and Applications

Abstract

Metals are indispensable engineered materials for day-to-day life. Researches focused on metallic surfaces with superlyophobicity (superhydrophobicity, superoleophobicity, underwater superoleophobicity and slippery characteristic) have attracted much attention recently. Nature is a magician that gives each organic life a unique advantage. Researchers have created a large number of biomimetic superlyophobic metallic surfaces through various approaches. These biomimetic superlyophobic metallic surfaces exhibit advantages in many applications, such as self-cleaning, corrosion resistance, anti-icing, and drag reduction. In this review, the specific fabrication and applications of biomimetic superlyophobic metallic surfaces were reported. The remaining challenges and future outlook of biomimetic superlyophobic metallic surfaces were preliminarily analyzed. It is hoped that the review will be essential for broadening the scope of potential applications of metals and providing a powerful reference for future research on metal-based advanced functional materials.