Medical catheters play an extremely important role in clinical interventional diagnosis and treatment. However, their hydrophobic surface may lead to unfavorable outcomes such as tissue damage and infection, making a firm and stable lubrication modification essential. This goal is challenged by an inherent trade-off between coating lubricity and interfacial stability, as well as the critical prerequisite of manufacturability. This review initially examines this core challenge, and systematically outlines corresponding strategies in terms of materials, coating strategies, and manufacturability. Subsequently, existing performance evaluation techniques for coatings are summarized. Finally, future research directions in the field of catheter lubrication modification are discussed. This review aims to provide a reference for the material design, manufacture, and evaluation of lubrication modifications for catheters, so as to promote the development and clinical translation of innovative high-performance catheter coatings.
Solar interfacial evaporation technology as a sustainable clean water production solution has recently shifted its focus from pursuing high evaporation rates to constructing emerging multifunctional solar interfacial evaporation systems (MSIES) that enable the smart integration of water purification, energy utilization, and beyond. This comprehensive review explores recent advancements in MSIES, systematically analyzing the intricate interplay between interfacial mechanisms, material design, and coupled water-energy processes, along with the multi-functional synergistic effects and efficient gains achieved through material innovation and system construction. First, we critically examine state-of-the-art device design paradigms, focusing on the 2D and 3D engineering of solar interfacial evaporators tailored to optimize solar absorption, thermal insulation, and rapid capillary water pumping. Subsequently, this work highlights a pivotal paradigm shift towards the design and construction of MSIES. We systematically elaborate the deep integration of solar evaporation processes with coupled energy conversion and environmental remediation workflows, including simultaneous electrical energy harvesting (via thermoelectric and hydrovoltaic effects), thermal energy storage, advanced remediation of complex wastewater (encompassing refractory pollutant degradation and antibacterial disinfection), sustainable clean fuel synthesis (e.g., photocatalytic hydrogen evolution and carbon dioxide reduction), and high-value resource recovery (including crude oil and precious metal). Finally, we outline current bottlenecks and provide a forward-looking perspective on MSIES. Although MSIES still faces challenges in large-scale preparation, long-term stability, and functional synergy, future research through smart material design, modular system integration, and artificial intelligence optimization is expected to drive MSIES towards higher efficiency, intelligence, and sustainability, providing comprehensive solutions to address global water, energy, and environmental challenges.
Poly(L-lactide-co-ε-caprolactone) (PLCL) is a biodegradable elastomer that integrates the complementary properties of poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) and poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), providing a unique balance between mechanical strength and elasticity. The physicochemical properties of PLCL are strongly governed by its molecular architecture, which is defined by synthesis parameters and directly influences mechanical performance, thermal behavior, and degradation kinetics. Understanding these structure-property relationships is essential for the rational design of electrospun fibrous scaffolds for biomedical applications, which have attracted increasing interest in recent years. This review comprehensively summarizes recent advances in electrospun PLCL-based scaffolds. The influence of electrospinning parameters on fiber morphology and functional performance is critically discussed. A comparative analysis highlights the distinct advantages of PLCL in terms of elasticity, degradation behavior, and biological response. Applications across diverse fields of regenerative medicine are discussed, including skin regeneration and wound healing, cardiovascular, neural, musculoskeletal, urogenital, periodontal, and airway tissue engineering. In addition, commonly used in vitro and in vivo models are summarized. Overall, this review provides design guidelines for advanced PLCL-based biomaterials, highlighting both well-established applications and underexplored areas with significant translational potential.
Chlorogenic acid (CGA), a plant-derived phenolic compound, has attracted considerable attention as a multifunctional bioactive agent due to its potent antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, positioning it as a promising candidate for sustainable food preservation. This review critically compares four colloidal delivery platforms for CGA, nanoemulsions, nanoparticles, nanoliposomes, and Pickering emulsions evaluating their formulation strategies, release mechanisms, and food-preservation performance, and situates them alongside direct treatments and edible coatings/films as complementary, lower-complexity delivery formats. Key aspects, including formulation strategies, functional mechanisms, and preservation performance, are systematically discussed. Analysis of studies published over the past decade reveals that CGA can be integrated into biopolymer matrices such as chitosan, alginate, gelatin, starch, and composites in free form, as grafted conjugates, or via nano delivery systems. The incorporation of CGA significantly enhances the antioxidant capacity, antimicrobial activity, barrier properties, and mechanical stability of edible coatings, leading to effective inhibition of microbial growth, suppression of lipid and protein oxidation, and extended shelf life across a range of food products, including fruits, vegetables, meat, and aquatic products. Emerging evidence also indicates that CGA-functionalized coatings can interfere with key microbial metabolic pathways, including iron acquisition and biofilm formation. Overall, this review highlights CGA as a versatile and sustainable bioactive compound for next-generation food preservation technologies, bridging direct applications with advanced colloidal delivery platforms.
The directional manipulation of water droplets is a core research topic in the fields of surface science, biomimetic engineering, and microfluidics. It has broad application prospects in areas such as nuclear power steam collection, seawater desalination, and biomedical systems. Conventional droplet manipulation strategies are usually classified into passive gradient-driven transport and active field-controlled manipulation. However, this binary classification obscures the fact that both strategies are governed by the same fundamental competition between driving and resistive forces, making it difficult to establish a unified understanding of their operational behaviors, performance limits, and application boundaries. In this review, passive and active droplet manipulation strategies are systematically reinterpreted within a unified drive-resistance ratio (DRR) framework. Based on this framework, the droplet manipulation space is divided into four representative regimes: autonomous transport, precise controllable motion, hysteresis-dominated pinning, and dynamic dissipative actuation. Representative passive and active strategies are critically compared in terms of transport efficiency, controllability, actuation requirement, and application adaptability. To improve cross-platform evaluation, semi-quantitative metrics, including the transport efficiency coefficient (EVF) and operational flexibility factor (ROF), are further introduced. Finally, key scientific challenges and future directions are discussed, including passive-active hybrid interfaces, durable antifouling surfaces, standardized performance evaluation, and intelligent closed-loop droplet manipulation systems.
Superhydrophobic surfaces offer promising strategies for mitigating pervasive challenges in electrical engineering. This review elucidates how three key functional attributes, namely, staying dry, self-cleaning, and air layer barrier, can address surface-related degradation by detailing their underlying principles and mechanism. We summarize the practical implementation of superhydrophobic coatings across two major domains of electrical systems: power and electronics. In power applications, these coatings suppress flashovers on high-voltage insulators, sustain the output of photovoltaic modules by preventing soiling, alleviate icing on wind-turbine blades and overhead conductors by delaying ice formation and reducing ice adhesion, and mitigate corrosion in metallic towers and transmission cables. In electronics, these coatings keep circuit boards and connectors dry, protect radomes from wet antenna attenuation, and, when incorporated into dual-wettability heat pipes, accelerate condensate removal for enhanced thermal management. While preliminary demonstrations have confirmed their effectiveness, broader industrial implementation remains hampered by challenges in mechanical durability, environmental weatherability, scalable and cost-efficient fabrication, fluorine-free formulation design, standardized testing, and field-service validation. In conclusion, this review provides valuable insights into how superhydrophobicity can effectively address persistent surface-related challenges in electrical systems, thereby promoting the advancement and optimization of electrical systems.
Photothermal deicing offers a promising route to mitigate surface icing by coupling passive anti-icing with active ice removal under solar irradiation. Yet a persistent mismatch remains between laboratory performance and field operation, largely because most studies are guided by material optimization rather than service requirements. A service performance-structure-environment (PSE) co-design framework is introduced here, in which environmental stresses define performance priorities and structural strategies are selected accordingly. Representative scenarios such as aerospace, wind power, power transmission, and flexible electronics illustrate how application-specific demands shape design choices and expose current limitations. Three bottlenecks stand out, namely the gap between idealized tests and realistic service conditions, the intrinsic trade-offs among competing performance metrics, and the difficulty of translating laboratory-scale coatings into engineering-scale deployment. Progress will depend on standardized coupled testing, a more operational quantitative PSE-guided design framework supported by measurable descriptors and benchmark datasets, multimodal energy management, self-healing functionality, sustainable material selection, and scalable manufacturing. By shifting the focus from isolated performance metrics to scenario-driven co-design, this review provides a framework for advancing photothermal deicing coatings toward practical implementation.
Conductive hydrogels combine flexibility, biocompatibility, and electrical conductivity and are therefore promising materials for flexible pressure sensors. This review examines the application of conductive hydrogels to plantar pressure monitoring for foot disease management and gait analysis. Four major sensing mechanisms are examined, including piezoresistive, capacitive, piezoelectric, and triboelectric sensing. A comparison is made of their respective merits, limitations and suitable applications. Conductive hydrogels are broadly classified as ionically conductive, electronically conductive, or hybrid conductive types. The mechanical performance of conductive hydrogels can be enhanced through double-network architectures, nanocomposite reinforcement, and slide-ring topologies. Anti-freezing, anti-swelling, and self-healing designs can improve environmental stability and operational durability. Self-adhesion and antibacterial activity further broaden the range of potential applications. At the device and system levels, reliable operation depends on sensor array design, gait parameter extraction, and system integration. AI-assisted signal processing may further improve data interpretation and analytical accuracy. Applications include daily activity recognition, exercise monitoring, and the detection of flatfoot, neuropathy-related abnormalities, and diabetic foot ulcers. These capabilities enable continuous, noninvasive plantar pressure mapping and may facilitate earlier intervention. Despite recent advances, major barriers remain at the material, device, and clinical levels. Future development is expected to focus on multimodal sensing, self-powered operation, and closed-loop intervention. Overall, conductive hydrogel-based plantar pressure sensors hold considerable promise for foot health monitoring. Their translation into routine clinical practice will depend on close collaboration among materials scientists, engineers, and clinicians.
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provide a tunable platform for constructing hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces because their metal nodes, organic linkers, pore architectures, and external crystal morphologies can be regulated across multiple length scales. This review analyzes MOF-based superhydrophobic surfaces from the perspectives of design principles, fabrication strategies, interfacial wetting mechanisms, and multifunctional applications. Rather than treating MOFs only as porous powders or general functional additives, the review focuses on how molecular-level MOF characteristics can relate to macroscopic surface properties. Based on biomimetic principles and classical wetting theories, particular attention is given to the synergistic role of micro/nanoscale hierarchical roughness and controlled surface energy in stabilizing Cassie-Baxter wetting states. MOF-related interfacial phenomena, including capillary effects, contact-line pinning, nanoconfinement, and stimuli-responsive wetting transitions, are discussed in relation to surface wettability and droplet mobility. Wettability regulation strategies are organized into intrinsic hydrophobic ligand design, post-synthetic modification, hydrophobic MOF powder utilization, and MOF-polymer composite fabrication. The review also compares top-down and bottom-up fabrication approaches, with emphasis on scalability, durability, sustainability, and practical processing constraints. Furthermore, representative applications, including oil-water separation, self-cleaning, anti-/de-icing, anti-corrosion, antibacterial surfaces, photocatalysis, fog harvesting, and fluid transport, are discussed with attention to key performance indicators and current limitations. Finally, remaining challenges related to structural stability, mechanical durability, scalable manufacturing, environmental compatibility, and dynamic wettability regulation are summarized, and future opportunities in AI-assisted design, sustainable synthesis, quantitative benchmarking, and multifunctional interface engineering are outlined.
The impact of liquid droplets on porous substrates governs a wide range of natural and industrial processes, from soil erosion and additive manufacturing to agricultural spraying and pathogen transmission. This review focuses on recent progress into two distinct types of porous substrates: deformable granular beds and thin porous membranes. On granular beds, interaction of liquid drop and particle gives rise to such rich phenomena as crater formation, liquid marble formation, and granule aggregation, as shaped by interplay of inertia, capillarity, viscous forces and substrate deformability. Thin porous membranes permit penetration of high-inertia liquid drop, thus exhibiting unconventional drop spreading and rebound behavior, and triggering post-penetration dynamics such as jet formation, microdroplet ejection, and spray generation. We examine the effects of viscosity, wettability, and non-Newtonian properties on these dynamics. By comparing these two classes of porous substrates, we highlight both common physical principles and system-specific behaviors. This unified perspective aims to guide future research and application of droplet-porous surface interactions in areas including inkjet printing, environmental remediation, and infection control.
Membrane distillation (MD) is a promising thermally driven desalination technology due to its high rejection of non-volatile contaminants and its ability to operate under relatively mild conditions. However, membrane wetting remains a persistent challenge that hinders its distillation efficiency and long-term application. This review presents a mechanism-based perspective on MD wetting by linking capillary pressure imbalance, surface-tension reduction, surfactant adsorption, scaling, and colloid-driven interfacial interactions to pore invasion and performance deterioration. The influence of key membrane properties, including hydrophobicity, liquid entry pressure, surface free energy, pore structure, and thermal conductivity, was discussed in relation to wetting resistance. Building on this mechanistic understanding, four anti-wetting strategies are examined, including stabilization of the Cassie-Baxter state through hierarchical structures, extension of liquid repellency using ultralow-surface-energy materials, asymmetric interfacial regulation through Janus architectures, and dynamic interfacial regulation using stimuli-responsive membranes. Furthermore, the role of engineered colloidal nanomaterials as versatile building blocks for anti-wetting interfaces is discussed across the four design strategies. Artificial intelligence and machine learning, particularly inverse design and physics-informed approaches, are highlighted as emerging tools for membrane discovery and optimization. Future perspectives are outlined toward mechanism-guided membrane fabrication, validation under realistic feed conditions, and data-driven design of durable anti-wetting MD membranes. This review proposes anti-wetting strategies as well as design principles in the separation applications.
Additive manufacturing (AM), particularly three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting, is advancing as a versatile biofabrication platform capable of spatially organizing cells, biomaterials, and biochemical cues, such as signaling molecules, in a precise manner to recapitulate the complex architecture of native tissues. Current 3D bioprinting modalities include extrusion-based, inkjet-based, laser-assisted, and light-based techniques, as well as scaffold-free bioprinting and bioassembly strategies involving cellular aggregates such as spheroids and organoids. Extrusion-based bioprinting utilizes pneumatic, piston, or screw-driven mechanisms, whereas inkjet-based systems employ thermal, piezoelectric, or electrostatic actuation. Laser-assisted bioprinting encompasses laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) and other laser-direct writing (LDW) techniques, while light-based methods, such as stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), and two-photon polymerization (2PP/TPP), involve vat photopolymerization. Furthermore, bioassembly approaches using spheroids or organoids facilitate the construction of higher-order biological structures. Native human tissues are characterized by intricate 3D arrangements, specific porosity, cellular heterogeneity, and specialized mechanical and physiological properties. Various 3D bioprinting modalities are tailored to address these tissue-specific requirements within regenerative medicine. Direct ink writing (DIW) and liquid/fused deposition modeling (LDM/FDM) provide robust scaffold architectures, while droplet-based and laser-assisted methods offer high-resolution cell patterning. Conversely, scaffold-free approaches, including the Kenzan method, aspiration-assisted bioprinting (AAB), and magnetic levitation (Mag-TE), utilize cellular self-organization to produce native extracellular matrix (ECM)-rich tissues. Moreover, bioprinting-assisted tissue emergence (BATE) leverages the principles of developmental biology. Within this paradigm, organoid-forming stem cells, deposited at defined geometries and cell densities into a permissive ECM, undergo directed morphogenesis to autonomously self-organize into centimeter-scale, native-like tissue architectures. In addition, emerging techniques such as volumetric bioprinting and embedded bioprinting, such as freeform reversible embedding of suspended hydrogels (FRESH), have been developed to enable the precise fabrication of soft biomaterials. Consequently, each 3D bioprinting modality provides distinct advantages for specific tissue engineering applications. This review comprehensively discusses major 3D bioprinting modalities, their underlying principles and working mechanisms, and biomaterial selection criteria for diverse applications in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Water-in-water (W/W) emulsions are unique colloidal systems composed of two immiscible aqueous phases, featuring ultra-low interfacial tension, mild preparation conditions, and excellent biocompatibility. Owing to their distinctive interfacial properties and non-toxic aqueous environment, W/W emulsions have attracted extensive attention across colloid and interface science, food science, biomedicine, and pharmaceutical engineering, and have gradually become a hot research topic in interdisciplinary fields. In particular, recent advances have highlighted the importance of nanoparticle-stabilized Pickering W/W emulsions, which provide enhanced stability despite the intrinsically ultralow interfacial tension of such systems. This paper reviews the formation and phase separation mechanisms of W/W emulsions, summarizes the characteristics and stabilization strategies of Pickering stabilizers, discusses the regulatory rules of colloidal particle intrinsic properties, interfacial characteristics, and external environmental factors on emulsion stability, and explores their applications in the environment, medicine, food, and other fields. Finally, current challenges and future perspectives for the development of stable and functional W/W Pickering emulsions are discussed.
Inadequate interface stability and restricted anti-interference capability in the context of complex matrices represent the fundamental bottlenecks impeding the transition of sensing technology from laboratory-based research to practical applications. The underlying cause stems from the absence of precise regulation of intermolecular interactions at the sensing interface. Coordination supramolecular interactions integrate the rigid anchoring provided by strong coordination bonds with the dynamic adaptability of supramolecular forces, facilitating precise manipulation of interface structure and properties at the molecular level. They have emerged as a crucial scientific methodology for the construction of highly stable and anti-interference sensing interfaces.This paper comprehensively investigates the most recent advancements in interface stabilization propelled by coordination and supramolecular forces. It elaborates on the coupling and synergistic effects between coordination bonds and supramolecular interactions, and summarizes the mechanisms, advantages, and design principles of five strategies: covalent coordination bonding, supramolecular assembly, coordination network encapsulation, metal-ligand bridging, and coordination supramolecular composite cross-linking. The multi-dimensional regulation of interface assembly and sensing performance by the characteristics of recognition elements, the interface micro-environment, and external conditions is expounded. Typical applications in environmental water monitoring, food safety, and biological body fluids are presented. Finally, current challenges are deliberated, including ambiguous anti-interference mechanisms, the compromise between stability and sensitivity, limited characterization tools, and the lack of standardization. Future directions such as adaptive intelligent interfaces, modular platforms, and standardized evaluation systems are put forward. This paper aims to offer unified theoretical guidance for the rational design of high - performance, intelligent, green, and practical sensing interfaces.
The self-assembly of soy proteins into amyloid fibrils (SAFs) has emerged as an effective strategy for engineering advanced amyloid-based soft matter systems. Under controlled acidic and thermal conditions, soy proteins undergo structural reorganization into β-sheet-rich fibrillar architectures with high aspect ratios, enhanced mechanical properties, and tunable interfacial properties. The compositional complexity of soy proteins, particularly their β-conglycinin (7S) and glycinin (11S) fractions, can contribute to the formation of structurally distinct fibrils with diverse morphologies and functionalities, providing opportunities to tailor SAF architectures for specific applications. This review summarizes recent advances in the molecular mechanisms of SAF formation and the structure-processing-function relationships governing their functional performance, emphasizing how protein composition, fibrillation conditions, and intermolecular interactions collectively determine fibril architecture and functionality. The emerging applications of SAFs in cultivated meat and meat analogues, emulsions, foams, hydrogels, bioactive delivery systems, films, and functional materials for water purification are comprehensively discussed. Current challenges related to structural control, scalable production, and practical implementation are also highlighted, together with future opportunities for rational fibril engineering. Overall, this review highlights the potential of SAFs as versatile building blocks for the rational design of next-generation amyloid-based soft matter systems for advanced food and material applications.
The efficient separation of oil/water mixtures is a critical technological challenge in environmental remediation, industrial wastewater treatment, and sustainable resource management. In recent years, underwater superhydrophilic and superoleophobic materials have emerged as powerful platforms for high-performance separation membranes. Despite rapid progress, current research largely relies on static wettability descriptors, whereas the dynamic interfacial behavior of oil droplets on hydrated surfaces remains insufficiently understood. This review establishes a unified framework that connects interfacial oil dynamics with the rational design of underwater superhydrophilic interfaces. Fundamental wetting principles governing oil-water-solid interactions are first revisited, highlighting the thermodynamic and molecular origins of hydration-layer stability and oil repellency. The analysis then elucidates how surface chemistry, hierarchical morphology, surfactant interactions, and intrinsic oil properties collectively govern droplet deformation, spreading, adhesion, and detachment under realistic operating conditions. Particular emphasis is placed on dynamic antifouling mechanisms, including hydration lubrication, shear-assisted droplet removal, and rapid rehydration that enables efficient flux recovery. Emerging material strategies, including hydration-dominant chemistries, hierarchical micro-nano architectures, and mechanically robust composite systems are further discussed as key routes toward durable separation interfaces. By reframing underwater oleophobicity as a dynamic and metastable interfacial state rather than a static wetting property, this review provides mechanistic insights and design principles for engineering adaptive materials capable of sustaining high flux, strong antifouling performance, and long-term operational stability in complex environments.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential to everyday diets, and growing global attention is focused on their quality and safety. Protecting freshness and ensuring safety after harvest is therefore a key requirement for building a sustainable and environmentally friendly supply of fruits and vegetables. In response, substantial research has focused on advanced materials that support postharvest quality management and safety monitoring. Two-dimensional nanomaterials (2D-NMs) have emerged as particularly promising materials for these applications because of their layered structures, large specific surface areas, and adjustable physicochemical characteristics. This review discusses the main ways 2D-NMs can be used for postharvest fruits and vegetables quality control, covering gas barrier regulation, antimicrobial performance, and controlled release behavior in packaging systems. The study also presents 2D-NM-based strategies for detecting pesticides, as well as sensor platforms for postharvest quality monitoring of fruits and vegetables. Overall, it summarizes the practical use of 2D-NMs in postharvest quality control and safety monitoring, with a central focus on their incorporation as functional additives in packaging films.
Surfactant functionality in complex biointerface-dominated systems is governed by adsorption kinetics, interfacial organization, competitive displacement, phase partitioning, and chemical transformation, rather than by bulk concentration alone. Conventional analytical approaches, which predominantly quantify total surfactant levels or broad classes, therefore fail to capture the fraction that is chemically intact, interfacially available, and functionally active. This review presents an integrated biointerface-centered analytical framework that explicitly links surfactant molecular architecture and interfacial phenomena to analytical strategies appropriate for characterizing adsorption, interfacial organization, chemical transformation, and functional behavior in complex biointerface systems. It integrates distribution-resolved compositional analysis with interface-responsive techniques capable of probing adsorption dynamics, interfacial rheology, membrane perturbation, and real-time biointerfacial interactions. Particular emphasis is placed on resolving compositional heterogeneity, detecting transformation products, and distinguishing active from inactive surfactant populations under non-equilibrium conditions. Emerging multidimensional and AI data-integrated workflows are highlighted for their ability to bridge molecular-level information with interfacial function, including predictive and semi-quantitative approaches that extend analysis beyond the limits of conventional calibration-based methods. The central novelty lies in redefining surfactant characterization as a coupled compositional-functional problem and establishing a decision-oriented strategy that aligns analytical resolution with interfacial complexity and system behavior. This perspective enables a more mechanistic and translationally relevant understanding of surfactants in complex immiscible and biological environments.
