Self-Assembled, Hierarchical Structured Surfaces for Applications in (Super)hydrophobic Antiviral Coatings

A versatile method for the creation of multitier hierarchical
structured
surfaces is reported, which optimizes both antiviral and hydrophobic
(easy-clean) properties. The methodology exploits the availability
of surface-active chemical groups while also manipulating both the
surface micro- and nanostructure to control the way the surface coating
interacts with virus particles within a liquid droplet. This methodology
has significant advantages over single-tier structured surfaces, including
the ability to overcome the droplet-pinning effect and in delivering
surfaces with high static contact angles (>130°) and good
antiviral
efficacy (log kill >2). In addition, the methodology highlights
a
valuable approach for the creation of mechanically robust, nanostructured
surfaces which can be prepared by spray application using nonspecialized
equipment.