We report the possibility to modify the wetting properties of the surfaces of a diversity of seeds including: lentils (Lens culinaris), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and wheat (Triticum, species C9) by cold radiofrequency air plasma treatment. Air plasma treatment leads to the dramatic decrease in the apparent contact angle. Moreover, the speed of germination and yield (germination rate) of seeds can be modified by preliminary plasma treatment. The change in the wetting properties of seeds is at least partially due to oxidation of their surface under plasma treatment. Significant growth of the peaks corresponding to the nitrogen containing groups in the mass spectra of air plasma treated seeds was registered by TOF-SIMS spectroscopy.

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The motion of ferrofluidic marbles on flat polymer substrates is reported. Nanopowders of polyvinylidene fluoride and gammaFe2O3 were used for the preparation of ferrofluidic marbles. The marbles are activated easily with an external magnetic field. A microfluidic device based on ferrofluidic marbles (the ferrofluidic bearing) is described. Velocities of marbles as high as 25+/-3 cm/s were registered. The sliding of ferrofluidic drops on superhydrophobic surfaces was studied. It was demonstrated that the threshold magnetic force necessary for the drop displacement depends linearly on the drop radius, thus the motion of the drop is defined by the processes occurring in the vicinity of the triple line only.

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A superhydrophobic surface is produced from industrial grade polymer materials. The surface comprises partly disordered triple-scaled arrays of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) globules. An inherently superhydrophobic metallic surface is produced with polymer template. The mathematical model based on the Cassie-Baxter hypothesis of air trapping under a water drop is built, which gives the apparent contact angle on the manifold-scaled interface. The presence of several scales itself is not a sufficient condition of hydrophobicity of inherently wettable surfaces. The geometrical features favoring the increase of the vapor-water interface fraction are necessary for this phenomenon.