Nature Inspired Substrate-Independent Omniphobic and Antimicrobial Slippery Surfaces [Dataset]

Inspired by the carnivorous Nepenthes pitcher plant, a range of highly liquid repellent lubricant-infused surfaces have been devised (low water droplet contact angle hysteresis and sliding angle values). This entailed matching functional pulsed plasma polymer nanolayers with appropriate slippery lubricants. A molecular level structure–behaviour relationship has been developed highlighting the importance of favourable aromatic–aliphatic intermolecular interactions between coating and lubricant. Fluorinated lubricant-infused pulsed plasma polymer nanocoatings resist wetting by liquids spanning a wide range of surface tensions (including pentane, motor oil, and water, i.e. omniphobicity). In the case of natural antimicrobial compound-infused functional plasma polymer surfaces (for example the essential oil cinnamaldehyde), multifunctional performance is attained combining high liquid repellency (self-cleaning) with simultaneous strong antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (Log10 Reduction > 7). In addition, these lubricant-infused functional pulsed plasma polymer surfaces easily repel a variety of everyday liquids (including foodstuffs such as tomato ketchup and honey).