Carnivorous plant inspires super-slippery material

Water, oil, blood and insects alike slide swiftly off a new super-slippery material inspired by a carnivorous plant.

Scientists searching for clever materials sometimes borrow ideas from nature. Lotus leaves, for example, are famously water repellent, thanks to their textured surfaces which trap a cushion of air for water to slide down.

The leaves have inspired a range of so-called superhydrophobic materials. But these materials have trouble repelling oils and more complex liquids, which have lower surface tensions than water and can seep into the surface at the slightest pressure — via redwolf.newsvine.com