Facile creation of biomimetic systems at the interface and in bulk

Nature always gives us inspiration for the fabrication of functional materials by mimicking the structural design or stimuli-responsive capability of biomaterials. However, the strict preparation conditions, multistep processes, and high cost of the methods to create biomimetic systems at the interface and in bulk limit their practical applications. Therefore, development of a simple, cheap, but effective method has become the focus of our research in this field. In this feature article, facile methods for creating lotus-leaf-like micro-nano-binary structured superhydrophobic or superamphiphobic surfaces based on different mechanisms, i.e., solvent-induced phase separation of a polymer blend solution, self-assembly of a copolymer micelle solution, and solvent-induced crystallization, are summarized. Moreover, progress into the investigation on the special microstructures that induce unique wetting properties are also introduced. As an effective biomimetic bulk system, a unique swift stimuli-responsive gel actuator has been developed under a non-contact electronic field in air. Artificial muscles with path-controlled or self-governing long-range locomotion can be realized by using these stimuli-responsive polymer gels on the basis of the extraordinary driving mechanisms.