Recent Progress on the Healing Mechanisms of Self-Healing Superhydrophilic Surfaces

Superhydrophilic surfaces have important applications in fields such as energy, military, and medicine due to their unique wettability. However, the micro-/nano-structures of superhydrophilic surfaces are fragile and prone to damage, which can cause them to lose their superhydrophilicity and reduce their service life, severely limiting their applications. This paper discusses recent research progress and self-healing mechanisms of self-healing superhydrophilic surfaces from the perspectives of composition and structure self-healing. Additionally, it also introduces the research progress of superhydrophilic surfaces healed in air and underwater environments. Finally, the limitations of the self-healing superhydrophilic surfaces are summarized, and perspectives on future development are discussed.