Films and articles are described comprising a microstructured surface having an array of peak structures and adjacent valleys. For improved cleanability, the valleys preferably have a maximum width ranging from 10 microns to 250 microns and the peak structures have a side wall angle greater than 10 degrees. The peak structures may comprise two or more facets such as in the case of a linear array of prisms or an array of cube-corners elements. The facets form continuous or semi-continuous surfaces in the same direction. The valleys typically lack intersecting walls. Also described are methods of making and methods of use. The microstructured surface of the article can be prepared by various microreplication techniques such as coating, injection molding, embossing, laser etching, extrusion, casting and curing a polymerizable resin; and bonding microstructured film to a surface or article with an adhesive.

The present invention relates to structured, gas-holding surfaces for improving the friction-reducing properties of gas layers held under a liquid and for the simultaneous suppression of turbulence. The present invention furthermore relates to a device comprising this structured, gas-holding surface and to the use of this structured, gas-holding surface.

A synthetic polymer film (34A), (34B) having a surface which has a plurality of raised portions (34Ap), (34Bp), wherein a two-dimensional size of the plurality of raised portions (34Ap), (34Bp) is in a range of more than 20 nm and less than 500 nm when viewed in a normal direction of the synthetic polymer film (34A), (34B), the surface having a microbicidal effect, and a concentration of a total of a nitrogen element which is a constituent of a primary amine and a nitrogen element which is a constituent of a secondary amine is not less than 0.29 at %, and a number of moles of an ethylene oxide unit included in one gram is more than 0.0020 and not more than 0.0080.

A self-cleaning film system configured for reducing a visibility of a contaminant includes a substrate and a film. The film includes a monolayer defining a plurality of cavities and formed from a first material having a first surface energy, and a plurality of patches disposed within the plurality of cavities. Each of the patches is formed from a photocatalytic material having a second surface energy that is higher than the first. The film has a touchpoint area having a first use frequency, and a second area having a second use frequency that is less than the first. The patches are present in the touchpoint area in a first concentration and are configured to direct the contaminant towards the second area. The patches are present in the second area in a second concentration that is higher than the first and are configured to reduce the visibility of the contaminant.

The present disclosure provides microstructured hydrophobic surfaces and devices for gripping wet deformable surfaces. The surfaces and devices disclosed herein utilize a split contact Wenzel-Cassie mechanism to develop multi-level Wenzel-Cassie structures. The Wenzel-Cassie structures are separated with a spatial period corresponding to at least one wrinkle eigenmode of a wet deformable surface to which the microstructure or device is designed to contact, allowing grip of the deformable surface without slippage. Microstructures of the present invention are specifically designed to prevent the formation of Shallamach waves when a shear force is applied to a deformable surface. The multi-level Wenzel-Cassie states of the present disclosure develop temporally, and accordingly are characterized by hierarchical fluid pinning, both in the instance of slippage, and more importantly in the instance of localization. This temporal aspect to the multi-level Wenzel-Cassie state delays or prevents the transition from a wrinkled eigenmode state in a deformable surface to a buckled state in a deformable surface.

Described herein are glass substrates having oleophobic surfaces that are substantially free of features that form a reentrant geometry. The surfaces can include a plurality of gas-trapping features, extending from the surface to a depth below the surface, that are substantially isolated from each other. The gas-trapping features are capable of trapping gas below any droplets that are contacted with the surface so as to prevent wetting of the surface by the droplets.

Photocurable compositions and methods of preparation and use of such compositions. More particularly, photocurable compositions useful for forming topographical features on surfaces such as membrane surfaces. Methods of forming topographical features on a membrane surface using photocurable compositions.

Films and articles are described comprising a microstructured surface having an array of peak structures and adjacent valleys. For improved cleanability, the valleys preferably have a maximum width ranging from 10 microns to 250 microns and the peak structures have a side wall angle greater than 10 degrees. The peak structures may comprise two or more facets such as in the case of a linear array of prisms or an array of cube-corners elements. The facets form continuous or semi-continuous surfaces in the same direction. The valleys typically lack intersecting walls. Also described are methods of making and methods of use. The microstructured surface of the article can be prepared by various microreplication techniques such as coating, injection molding, embossing, laser etching, extrusion, casting and curing a polymerizable resin; and bonding microstructured film to a surface or article with an adhesive.

In certain embodiments, the invention is directed to apparatus comprising a liquid-impregnated surface, said surface comprising an impregnating liquid and a matrix of solid features spaced sufficiently close to stably contain the impregnating liquid therebetween or therewithin, and methods thereof. In some embodiments, one or both of the following holds: (i) 0<0.25, where is a representative fraction of the projected surface area of the liquid-impregnated surface corresponding to non-submerged solid at equilibrium; and (ii) S.sub.ow(a)<0, where S.sub.ow(a) is spreading coefficient, defined as .sub.wa.sub.wo.sub.oa, where is the interfacial tension between the two phases designated by subscripts w, a, and o, where w is water, a is air, and o is the impregnating liquid.

Presented herein are articles and methods relating to manufactured superhydrophobic, superoleophobic, and/or supermetallophobic surfaces with macro-scale features (macro features) configured to induce controlled asymmetry in a liquid film produced by impinging phase (e.g., impinging droplet(s)) onto the surface, thereby further reducing the contact time between an impinging liquid and the surface.