Carnivorous plant flesh inspires new protective coating type 02 January 2014

A tropical carnivorous plant (the pitcher plant, or Nepenthes) – which traps its prey inside its tubular body, using a virtually frictionless surface – is inspiring a new generation of coatings capable of repelling liquids such as blood, oil and ice.

The pitcher plant is different from other nature-inspired adaptations since it locks-in a lubricant layer onto the surface of its skin, which cannot then be penetrated by another liquid and is tolerant to damage.

A team at Harvard University has mimicked the plant's skin design to produce a transparent coating capable of being economically applied to almost any object – large or small.

The multi-stage coating process involves attaching a thin, but rough layer of porous silica particles, which are used to lock-in a lubricating layer onto the surface to be protected.

Applications, they believe, could include an anti-graffiti coating on walls or a coating for medical implants to aid blood flow. Others might include stopping the formation of life-threatening bacteria on medical instruments, ice build-up on airplanes, fouling on ships' hulls, and improving the efficiency of oil transmission pipeline operations.

The new coating technology reached the finals of last year's Institution of Chemical Engineers Awards in the UK.

"Some existing coatings have limitations, including contamination and degradation by contaminants, lack of self-healing capabilities and damage tolerance," comments IChemE chief executive Dr David Brown.

"By mimicking the pitcher plant's skin structure, Harvard University's new coating self-heals almost instantly, even if scraped with a knife or blade. It is capable of operating in extreme temperatures and high pressure, and can be applied to surfaces ranging from metals and semiconductors, to paper and cotton fabric."

Brian Tinham

Related Companies
Institution of Chemical Engrs

This material is protected by MA Business copyright
See Terms and Conditions.
One-off usage is permitted but bulk copying is not.
For multiple copies contact the sales team.