The study and fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces is a rapidly growing field in recent years, thanks to their use in applications ranging from self-cleaning surfaces to microfluidic devices. More recently, a growing interest has been shown in superoleophobic surfaces, repelling oils or other low surface tension liquids. In some cases, micro- and nano-structured surfaces may repel both water and oils, leading to superamphiphobic surfaces. 

In DESIREDROP, superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces were fabricated on polymeric substrates and they were finally incorporated in “smart” microfluidic devices. Specifically, mechanically and thermodynamically robust, superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces of optimum stability in time were designed, fabricated and finally incorporated in microfluidic devices so as to allow ON/OFF flow control, without the use of moving parts (mechanical micropumps & microvalves). The design and fabrication were implemented in such a way to result in superamphiphobic and superamphiphilic surfaces.