AI Insight
Researchers at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) have discovered that droplets on a single, non-textured solid surface can simultaneously exhibit two distinct wetting states: one where the droplet adheres to the surface and one where it is repelled. This challenges a foundational principle in interface chemistry, accepted for over 200 years, which held that the wetting behavior of a surface is uniquely determined by the specific solid-liquid combination. The team also identified a universal surface design principle responsible for producing this bifurcation in wetting states.
Why it matters
This discovery could open new avenues in materials engineering, enabling surfaces with tunable or dual-function wetting properties for applications in microfluidics, anti-icing coatings, biomedical devices, and water-repellent or water-harvesting technologies. Redefining a long-standing principle in interface chemistry may also prompt a broader reassessment of existing models used in surface science.
NIMS discovered a phenomenon in which droplets on a single solid surface exhibit both a “sticky” and “repellent” state simultaneously. Namely, the wetting behavior branches into two states. This is a discovery that overturns interface chemistry scientists’ belief held for over 200 years that, on a non-textured surface, the wetting state is uniquely determined by solid/liquid combinations. Furthermore, the research team also clarified a universal surface design principle that causes this phenomenon. This research result was published in Advanced Materials Interfaces on April 2, 2026.