Superhydrophobic 3D-printed microstructures: applications, challenges, and prospects

Abstract Superhydrophobic surfaces exhibit remarkably low wettability, enabling various liquids to form droplets and roll off the surface. Beyond their extreme aquaphobic behavior, self-cleaning, anti-corrosive, drag-reductive, oil-repellent, anti-icing, anti-reflection, and anti-biofouling attributes make these structures and surfaces highly valuable for numerous liquid-related applications. Despite these attractive features, developing these intricate three-dimensional microstructures using traditional manufacturing methods presents significant challenges. Recent advancements in 3D microprinting technology, with its unmatched design freedom and precise control over microfeatures, have revolutionized the fabrication of these superhydrophobic microstructures. This work presents a detailed analysis of the benefits and limitations of different 3D-printing technologies in fabricating superhydrophobic microstructures. Applications of these 3D-printed superhydrophobic microstructures in various engineering and scientific domains are analyzed. This work also discusses the need for future improvements in 3D-printing techniques to cope with the scalability issue, optimizing material properties for stability and durability of superhydrophobic microstructures, and developing innovative design strategies for higher levels of superhydrophobicity with desired functionalities.