Using a Femtosecond Laser to Make Self-Cleaning Plastics

Via physorg.com -

A plastic cup that can be reused without washing it, simply because contamination has no chance to stick to the surface? A self-cleaning surface like that of the leaf of a Lotus plant is ideal for many applications and consumer products.

These ideal natural properties can be imitated remarkably well now. Structuring a plastic or other surface is now possible by using an ultra fast femtosecond laser. PhD student Max Groenendijk of the Applied Laser Technology Group of the University of Twente (Netherlands) presents remarkable results with this new technique.

The secret of the Lotus leaf can be found in numerous tiny pillars with a wax layer on top. Water drops are lifted by these pillars, get into a spherical shape and can simply not cover the surface. Dirt gets no chance to stick to the surface via water. The spherical drops roll off and take dirt particles with the, Again, nature proves to be a source of inspiration for the laser scientists of the University of Twente: they aimed at creating similar surfaces, but without having to use wax. They succeeded in that using an ultra fast femtosecond laser. The light pulses are so short that they can be seen as light ‘bullets’ with which the surface is bombed.

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The ‘look and feel’ of the material also changes, especially the ‘feel’: a surface that has been treated, feels like silk. This could be an added unique selling point, especially for trendy products.

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Scientists have been attempting to mimic the lotus leaf ever since Wilhelm Barthlott discovered the self-cleaning properties of the leaf in 1997.

Next out this 2003 article from National Geographic as well.

Nature has many surprises left for science to discover, very interesting indeed.