Metallic surfaces with special wettability

Abstract

Metals are important and irreplaceable engineered materials in our society. Nature is a school for scientists and engineers, which has long served as a source of inspiration for humans. Inspired by nature, a variety of metallic surfaces with special wettability have been fabricated in recent years through the combination of surface micro- and nanostructures and chemical composition. These metallic surfaces with special wettability exhibit important applications in anti-corrosion, microfluidic systems, oil–water separation, liquid transportation, and other fields. Recent achievements in the fabrication and application of metallic surfaces with special wettability are presented in this review. The research prospects and directions of this field are also briefly addressed. We hope this review will be beneficial to expand the practical applications of metals and offer some inspirations to the researchers in the fields of engineering, biomedicine, and materials science.