Co-tuning ultrathin ZnO films and programmable 3D textures to control lunar dust simulant adhesion

Lunar regolith dust is angular, polydisperse, and electrostatically active, adhering to surfaces, obscuring optics, and accelerating wear. Using the compositionally relevant lunar dust simulant (LDS) LHS-1, we evaluate a co-tunable surface platform that integrates two-photon lithography (TPL)–printed hierarchical textures with atomic-layer-deposited (ALD) ZnO coatings (0–8 nm). The textures combine lotus-like lobes and sandfish-inspired ridges with controlled rotational registries (0°, 2.5°, 30°) as a single geometric variable. LDS retention was quantified using a standardized 20 s vibration protocol in ambient air. Once ZnO thickness reached ≥ 2 nm, surface dust coverage fell below 1%, outperforming all space-heritage materials (glass, polytetrafluoroethylene, Ti, stainless steel). Sub-continuous coatings (0.5–2 nm) already reduced adhesion of large aggregates, and atomic-force-microscopy confirmed an island-to-film transition coinciding with this threshold. With ZnO chemistry held constant, texture geometry governed the locations of retained particles, producing edge-pinning, valley capture, and ridge-bridge modes. These results demonstrate that co-engineering nanoscale ZnO continuity with hierarchical microtextures can minimize dust adhesion and control retention morphology under low-energy mechanical excitation, providing a materials-by-design route for surfaces intended for lunar-environment operation. • ≥2 nm ALD ZnO films reduce LHS-1 dust coverage to below 1 % • TPL textures channel residual dust to edges, valleys, or ridge bridges • Sub-continuous ZnO fragments large aggregates, reducing effective adhesion • ZnO thickness controls adhesion magnitude; texture controls retention morphology • Island-to-film ZnO transition coincides with the adhesion-reduction threshold