This book highlights the functions and models of biological surfaces with unique characteristics, elucidating methods to realize bioinspired surfaces. It offers the theory and mechanism of fabrication, functioning to help researchers understand nature in order to design better, more functional surfaces for widespread applications. Using models extracted from biological surfaces, such as lotus leaves, spider silk, butterfly wings, and beetle backs, principles of surface design are discussed to enable promising applications such as micro-fluidic devices, functional textiles, corrosion resistance, liquid transportation, anti-fogging and anti-water-collection. The book offers researchers and students with innovative ideas for designing novel materials.
About the Author: Yongmei Zheng is a professor at the School of Chemistry, and Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education, Beihang University. In 2003, she obtained her Ph.D. at Jilin University. In 2003-2006, Dr. Zheng worked as a Postdoctoral fellow in the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS); In 2006-2008, she served as Associate Professor at the Laboratory for Nanomedicine and Biotechnology, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Since 2010, she has been professor at School of Chemistry and Environment (now name is changed into: School of Chemistry), Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Smart Interfacial Science and Technology of Ministry of Education in Beihang University. Dr.Zheng is a member of the Chinese Composite Materials Society (CSCM); the Chinese Chemical Society (CCS); American Chemical Society (ACS); and the International Society of Bionic Engineering (ISBE). In 2016, she was honored by the ISBE with its Outstanding Contribution Award. Her research interests include elucidating the biological micro-/nanostructure effects on controlling of wettability, investigation of bioinspired surfaces with unique gradient micro-/nano-structures, study of wetting features, self-cleaning and water collection on natural biological surfaces such as butterfly wings, spider silk etc., preparing artificial functional surfaces, mimicking the unique effects resulting from micro-/nanostructure and anisotropic structure, studying features of ultra-superhydrophobic surfaces that contribute to anti-icing, anti-frosting, and water-repellent functions, and designing surfaces with gradient micro-/nanostructures to control fluid transport. Her publications are included in Nature, Sci. Rep., Adv. Mater., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., ACS Nano, Adv. Funct. Mater., Small, Chem. Commun., J. Mater. Chem. A, Nanoscales, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, Nature News, RSC ChemistryWorld, Nature Materials, Nature Nanotechnology, and Nature Communications, among others.