Smart water channelling through dual wettability by leaves of the bamboo Phyllostachys aurea, Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects http://dx. HIGHLIGHTS Dual hydrophobic-hydrophilic wettability of young Phyllostachys aurea bamboo leaf surfaces leads to water channelling and self-cleaning. Nanoscale roughness of epicuticular waxes combined with very-long-chain alkyl compounds underpin localised leaf wetting characteristics. Bioinspired replication of dual wetting hydrophobic -hydrophilic channelled surfaces may offer potential for fog collection and dew harvesting in water-scarce regions of the world. ABSTRACTThe young leaves of the bamboo plant, Phyllostachys aurea, exhibit a distinct dual wetting behaviour on their adaxial surface. Contact angle analysis, variable pressure (environmental) scanning electron microscopy, gas chromatography, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy have shown that the epicuticular wax morphology/topography and the surface distribution of chemical species underpin this water-channelling behaviour. Envisaged bioinspired applications include fog and dew harvesting in water-scarce regions of the world.