Abstract

An example from nature: Analogous to the surface structure of the lotus leaf, the micro- and nanostructured rough surfaces of a teflon-coated mesh film engender it with both super-hydrophobic and super-oleophilic properties. The result is a variable film with contact angles of ≈150° for water and almost 0° for diesel oil, which makes it an ideal tool for the separation of oil and water (see figure).