Lubricant infused surfaces (LIS) can be uncoated high-surface-energy solids, thereby eliminating the need for unreliable low-surface-energy coatings and resulting in LIS repelling the lowest surface tension impinging fluid (butane, 13 mN/m) reported to date.

Substrates having a textured surface that can maintain or improve droplet mobility in both the Cassie and Wenzel states include a textured surface and a conformal lubricant layer thereover. The textured surface can include a plurality of raised first elements and a plurality of second elements thereon and the conformal lubricant layer over the plurality of raised first elements and covering the plurality of second elements. The plurality of raised first elements can have an average height of between 0.5 m and 500 m, and the plurality of second elements can have an average height of between 0.01 m and 10 m. Such substrates can be prepared by texturing a surface of a substrate with a plurality of raised first elements and a plurality of second elements thereon; optionally silanizing the textured surface and applying a lubricant layer over the plurality of raised first elements and between the plurality of second elements.

Structured surfaces are described. In one embodiment, the structured surface comprises a plurality of structures having a complement cumulative slope magnitude distribution (Fcc) such that at least 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 or 90% of structures have a slope greater than 10 degrees; and less than 80% of the structures have a slope greater than 35 degrees. In other embodiments, the structures comprise peaks and valleys defined by a Cartesian coordinate system such that the peaks and valleys have a width and length in the x-y plane and a height in the z-direction and at least a portion of the peaks and/or valleys vary in height in the y direction and/or the x-direction by at least 10% of the average height. Articles and methods are also described.

The invention is directed to an article with a liquid-impregnated surface, the surface having a matrix of features thereupon, spaced sufficiently close to stably contain a liquid therebetween or therewithin, and preferable also a thin film thereupon. The surface provides the article with advantageous non-wetting properties. Compared to previous non-wetting surfaces, which include a gas (e.g., air) entrained within surface textures, these liquid-impregnated surfaces are resistant to impalement and frost formation, and are therefore more robust.

Methods and apparatus for cleaning a central venous catheter port are disclosed. An apparatus includes a body, a coupling configured to connect the body to the hub, a cleaning cap coupled to the body, and an actuator disposed within the body for rotating and translating the cap relative to the hub. The cleaning cap includes a cap body defining a cavity and a cleaning member disposed within the cavity, the cleaning member having threads that engage with the threads on the hub.

Active superhydrophobic surface structures are actively-controlled surface structures exhibiting a superhydrophobic state and an ordinary state. Active superhydrophobic surface structures comprise an outer elastomeric covering defining an exposed surface, a controlled group of MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical system) actuators at least covered by the elastomeric covering, and, a controlled region of the exposed surface corresponding to the controlled group. The controlled region has a superhydrophobic state in which the controlled region is textured. The controlled region also has an ordinary state in which the controlled region is smooth (i.e., less textured than in the superhydrophobic state). Active superhydrophobic surface structures may be part of an apparatus that includes a controller and/or one or more sensors. The controller, sensors, and the controlled region may form a feedback loop in which the active superhydrophobic surface is actively controlled.

Substrates having a textured surface that can maintain or improve droplet mobility in both the Cassie and Wenzel states include a textured surface and a conformal lubricant layer thereover. The textured surface can include a plurality of raised first elements and a plurality of second elements thereon and the conformal lubricant layer over the plurality of raised first elements and covering the plurality of second elements. The plurality of raised first elements can have an average height of between 0.5 m and 500 m, and the plurality of second elements can have an average height of between 0.01 m and 10 m. Such substrates can be prepared by texturing a surface of a substrate with a plurality of raised first elements and a plurality of second elements thereon; optionally silanizing the textured surface and applying a lubricant layer over the plurality of raised first elements and between the plurality of second elements.

An artificial surface is disclosed where super-repellency is obtained solely from surface roughness regardless of the material's intrinsic wettability. The surface is able to repel all known liquids. The surface contains thereon a plurality of microstructures having a doubly re-entrant topology and a liquid-solid contact fraction of less than 50%. In one embodiment, the doubly re-entrant topology includes a cap portion and downwardly extending lip extending from the periphery of the cap portion. The surface withstands high temperatures and resists surface changing phenomenon such as biofouling and chemical scaling.

The present disclosure relates to a superhydrophobic coating material and a method for manufacturing the superhydrophobic coating material. The superhydrophobic coating material according to the present disclosure includes a substrate provided with a three-dimensional nano structure; and a coating layer comprising a rare earth metal oxide formed on the three-dimensional nano structure. The method for manufacturing the superhydrophobic coating material according to the present disclosure includes preparing a substrate provided with a three-dimensional nano structure; and forming a coating layer comprising a rare earth metal oxide on the three-dimensional nano structure by supplying a precursor including a rare earth metal and an oxidant one by one onto the substrate, and the temperature of the substrate is controlled in the forming step so that an atomic ratio of a carbon element in the coating layer is less than 1% to form the coating layer with superhydrophobic property.

This invention relates generally to an article that includes a non-wetting surface having a dynamic contact angle of at least about 90. The surface is patterned with macro-scale features configured to induce controlled asymmetry in a liquid film produced by impingement of a droplet onto the surface, thereby reducing time of contact between the droplet and the surface.