Lotus effect

The lotus effect refers to the very high water repellency (superhydrophobicity) exhibited by the leaves of the lotus flower (Nelumbo).[1] Dirt particles are picked up by water droplets due to a complex micro- and nanoscopic architecture of the surface, which minimizes adhesion.

This effect can easily be demonstrated in many other plants, for example tropaeolum, cane and columbine, and on the wings of certain insects.

The phenomenon was first studied by Dettre and Johnson in 1964 using rough hydrophobic surfaces. Their work developed a theoretical model based on experiments with glass beads coated with paraffin or PTFE telomer. The self-cleaning property of superhydrophobic micro-nanostructured surfaces was discovered in the 1970s[2] and has been applied since the 1990s[3] in biomimetic technical products.[4][5][6][7][8][9] Perfluoroalkyl superhydrophobic materials were developed in the mid 1990s for use with chemical and biological fluids.