Multimedia Gallery
Viscous lubricants on plastic slide with superomniphobic coating (Image 2)
A hexadecane oil is poured onto a glass slide with a superomniphobic coating. The petroleum based, highly viscous lubricant slide easily off the slide, opening up applications like self-cleaning windows, ink jet printers and microfluidic devices. [Image 2 of 2 related images. Back to Image 1.]
More about this image
Materials researchers at the University of Michigan have made an advance that could grime-proof phone screens, countertops, camera lenses and countless other everyday items. The researchers demonstrated a smooth, durable, clear coating that swiftly sheds water, oils and alcohols, as well as peanut butter.
The new "omniphobic" coating repels almost every known liquid and is the latest in a series of breakthrough coatings from the lab of Anish Tuteja, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at the University of Michigan.
Earlier efforts by the lab produced durable coatings that repelled ice and water, and a more fragile omniphobic coating, but the new omniphobic coating is the first that’s durable and clear and is easily applied to virtually any surface.
Tuteja envisions the new coating as a way to prevent surfaces from getting grimy, both in the home and in industry. It could work on computer displays, tables, floors and walls, for example.
This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation.
Read more about this research in the University of Michigan news story 'Everything-repellent' coating could kid-proof phones, homes. (Date image taken: March 2018; date originally posted to NSF Multimedia Gallery: Aug. 22, 2018)
Credit: Robert Coelius, Michigan Engineering
See other images like this on your iPhone or iPad download NSF Science Zone on the Apple App Store.
Images and other media in the National Science Foundation Multimedia Gallery are available for use in print and electronic material by NSF employees, members of the media, university staff, teachers and the general public. All media in the gallery are intended for personal, educational and nonprofit/non-commercial use only.
Images credited to the National Science Foundation, a federal agency, are in the public domain. The images were created by employees of the United States Government as part of their official duties or prepared by contractors as "works for hire" for NSF. You may freely use NSF-credited images and, at your discretion, credit NSF with a "Courtesy: National Science Foundation" notation.
Additional information about general usage can be found in Conditions.
Also Available:
Download the high-resolution JPG version of the image. (17.8 MB)
Use your mouse to right-click (Mac users may need to Ctrl-click) the link above and choose the option that will save the file or target to your computer.