A Review of Recent Advances and Techniques Used in the Fabrication of Coatings on Micro/nanostructured Anti-wetting Surfaces

Anti-wetting surfaces, which possess strong water-repellent properties and self-cleaning, anti-fouling, anti-icing, and anti-corrosion characteristics, are of great interest due to their numerous applications across various industrial sectors. For thousands of years, nature has developed highly innovative wetting systems to survive in hostile environments. For example, the surface structures of lotus leaves and gecko feet, with their superhydrophobic and parahydrophobic properties, play a key role in the adhesion of these natural surfaces. This review article examines in detail the theoretical foundations, various fabrication techniques, applications, and challenges associated with anti-wetting surfaces. This literature review analyzes the fundamental principles, focusing on water-repellent surfaces observed in nature, theories of wettability such as Young’s equation, the Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter states, as well as the dynamics of wetting. Various techniques for fabricating anti-wetting surfaces, such as dip-coating, templates, the sol-gel technique, etching, and electropolymerization, are studied, ranging from micro- and/or nanostructuring methods to advanced material coatings, highlighting the evolution of surface engineering. The numerous applications of water-repellent surfaces, ranging from self-cleaning technologies to oil-water separation, are discussed, highlighting their potential contributions in fields such as energy, environmental protection, and anti-icing. Despite their promising properties, water-repellent surfaces also face significant challenges, such as issues of durability and scalability, environmental concerns, and limitations in achieving multifunctionality. By providing a comprehensive overview of the current state of research on anti-wetting surfaces, this review aims to guide future studies and encourage innovations in the development and use of these intriguing surfaces.