Laser-Based biomimetic functionalization of surfaces: from moisture harvesting lizards to specific fluid transport systems

Abstract

Inspirations found in nature became more and more famous for an innovative product development. An interdisciplinary approach of scientifi c research and industrial development has shown that identifi cation and transfer of biological principles to technical applications uncover secrets of specifi c adaptations resulting in innovations with remarkable potential.Investigating the functional morphology of moisture harvesting lizards revealed the underlying principles of an adaptation to a life in arid environments. To survive water scarcity these lizards have developed different water catchment strategies. Special skin structures enable them to acquire water from moist substrate and transport the collected water to the snout. The former is a micro ornamentation, which can hold a water fi lm to render the surface superhydrophilic, the latter is a network of half-open capillary channels that transports the collected water. Transferring these structures to a producible structure design and to technical surfaces requires a fundamental understanding of the biological principles as well as an abstraction and modifi cation. Additionally enabling manufacturing technologies like laser structuring are needed to realize a functional surface structuring on complex shaped products. It is concluded that a biomimetic liquid transport can increase the product performance, improves product life time or saves resources.

Passive water collection with the integument: mechanisms and their biomimetic potential

“…smaller contact angles (see Glossary), results from either chemical properties and/or microstructures (Fig. 2), such as different kinds of pillar and hexagonal dimples (Bormashenko, 2010;Comanns et al, 2014). The spreading area (2) can be increased by similar microstructures, which allow subsequent drinking of water (Bico et al, 2002;Chandra and Yang, 2011).…”

“Fluidic diode” for passive unidirectional liquid transport bioinspired by the spermathecae of fleas

“…In the literature, various concepts for passive liquid transport with [10][11][12][13][14][15][16] or without [17][18][19][20] unidirectionality have been reported. Asymmetric "sawtooth" or "ratchet-like" features on the surface of capillaries give rise to directionally biased fluid transport which is either passive [18] or powered by external energy sources [3] .…”

“…Microfluidic devices for unidirectional passive liquid transport bioinspired by the skin of a moisture-harvesting lizard, namely the Texas horned lizard (Phrynosoma cornutum), have been reported [10][11][12][13] . This concept involves the interconnection of at least two capillary channels [10,11] which interact by oscillatory liquid fronts. A biomimetic capillary channel network based on this concept [12] is thought to be advantageous when single capillary channel sites could be blocked by particles or due to fabrication inaccuracies.…”

Classification, Characterization and Abstraction of Vegetable Surfaces for Design

“…Historically, this is a phase in which methodologically it has not been deepened and, paradoxically, it is here that many of the final qualities that the finished product will have are defined. According to Comanns et al [39], in this stage it is necessary to arrive at sufficient abstraction, where the coincidence and the adjustment between the natural model and the artificial texture is direct, achieving that the developed visual description allows for the identification of the characteristics that make the texture unique and relevant.…”