Conventional fog-harvesting mechanisms are effectively pseudo-2D surface phenomena in terms of water droplet-plant interactions. In the case of the Cotula fallax plant, a unique hierarchical 3D arrangement formed by its leaves and the fine hairs covering them has been found to underpin the collection and retention of water droplets on the foliage for extended periods of time. The mechanisms of water capture and release as a function of the surface 3D structure and chemistry have been identified. Of particular note is that water is retained throughout the entirety of the plant and held within the foliage itself (rather than in localized regions). Individual plant hairs form matlike structures capable of supporting water droplets; these hairs wrap around water droplets in a 3D fashion to secure them via a fine nanoscale groove structure that prevents them from easily falling to the ground.

Use policyThe full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that:• a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in DRO • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders.Please consult the full DRO policy for further details. ABSTRACTGalium aparine is a plant noted for its ability to attach to solid objects through its microscopic hooked trichomes via a hook and loop mechanism. This dry adhesive behaviour has been mimicked using a simple and inexpensive epoxy resin replica moulding technique. Enhancement of adhesion strength is achieved by varying the epoxy resin replicas' Young's modulus in order to provide strong hook and loop interlocking, whilst retaining sufficient bulk material flexibility for subsequent detachment via a hook uncurling mechanism.

A cure‐activated nanolayer transfer technique is described, which when combined with soft imprinting (lithography) can be used to fabricate multiple surface‐functionalized replicas from the same mould without the need for a separate secondary functionalization step. For instance, the hierarchical roughnesses of plant leaves and moth wings are successfully replicated to yield superhydrophobicity. The inherent simplicity and nanometer‐scale precision of this approach makes it highly attractive for a plethora of surface‐functionalization and patterning applications.

Non-equilibrium plasmachemical deposition using platinum(II) hexafluoroacetylacetonate precursor leads to the single-step formation of nanocomposite layers comprising an organic host matrix embedded with metal particles of size less than 5 nm. These multifunctional nanocomposite films are found to display both ionic and electronic conductivities.

A novel method for chemically processing blended textiles is investigated, revealing a conductive carbon material as a major product.