Hydrophobic

It was just this August that we heard about a super-slippery 3D-printed toilet bowl, which bacteria slide right off of. Well, if you want that same sort of functionality in your existing toilet, a special coating may do the trick.

Researchers have developed a surfactant spray that safely and effectively kills mosquitoes without using insecticides. The spray could be used to protect people from the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.

Farmers will often place sheets of plastic on the ground along their crop rows, in order to help hold moisture in the soil. According to a new study, however, the use of wax-coated sand may be a cheaper and greener way to go.

Last year, we heard how scientists had created eco-friendly soft gel particles from hard grains of pollen. Now, they've used those particles to create sponges that could soak up oil spills, then biodegrade once used up.

The "sea skater" is one of the few insects that lives full-time in a marine environment. Scientists are now taking a closer look at how the animal repels water, with an eye towards the development of more hydrodynamic ship hulls.

There's a problem with most bandages – because they adhere to the wound as it heals, they may reopen it when removed. A new wound dressing, however, doesn't stick to wounds, yet it does help stop the bleeding.

Using waste products of the petroleum and refining industries, researchers have created an absorbent polymer that can quickly soak up crude oil and diesel from sea water.

​When it comes to naturally repelling things, the humble cicada seems to have a few tricks up its sleeve. Now scientists have zeroed in on the insect's ability to repel water, which could provide inspiration for anti-icing and self-cleaning materials further down the track.

​When an oil spill occurs on water, one way of cleaning up that spill involves the use of materials which soak up the oil. Those won't be very effective, however, if they absorb both oil and water. That's why scientists have turned to nature, resulting in a fern-inspired material known as Nanofur. ​

Scientists in Australia are looking at the manner in which a particular type of gecko is able to stay clean. Their findings could pave the way for things like water-repelling electronics, or clothes that never need washing.

The humble milkweed may be a weed to most, but a company out of Granby, Quebec, is milking the plant for all it’s worth by developing a product for cleaning up oil slicks on land and water from milkweed fibers.

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a surface coating that when applied to medical devices to be implanted inside the human body, repels blood and bacteria and prevents blood clotting without the use of blood thinners, such as heparin.