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Herein, a straightforward route for fabricating highly loaded graphite composite anodes with enhanced electrochemical performance via ultrafast, scalable flashlight irradiation is presented. When a flashlight irradiates the surface of a thick graphite anode, instantaneous and non‐equilibrium photo‐thermochemical interactions occur between the flashlight and the constituent materials of the anode. As a result, a porous structure (through which the electrolyte easily penetrates), a large reaction site, improved conductivity, as well as phase transformation of active graphite material can be developed on the anode surface, which can facilitate ion and electron transport at the interface with the electrolyte. By fabricating a half‐cell using this flash‐activated, highly loaded graphite anode, it is found that the electrochemical performance, such as increases in the charge density, rate capability, and stability can be improved. Finally, the roll‐to‐roll (R2R) compatibility of the high‐performance thick‐film electrode fabrication process consisting of coating‐drying‐flashlight surface activation (FLSA) is successfully demonstrated using a self‐built R2R system integrated with a flashlight irradiation module. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological surfaces in plants are critical for controlling essential functions such as wettability, adhesion, and light management, which are linked to their adaptation, survival, and reproduction. Biomimetically patterned surfaces replicating the microstructures of plant surfaces have become an emerging tool for understanding plant–environment interactions. In this study, we developed a two-step micro-replication platform to mimic the microstructure of seed surfaces and demonstrated that this initial platform can be used to study seed surface–environment interactions. The two-step process involved the extraction of a simplified seed surface model from real seeds and micro-replication of the simplified seed surface model using nanoimprint lithography. Using Allium seeds collected from Mongolia and Central Asia as the model system, we studied the wettability of biological and synthetic seed surfaces. We could independently control the material properties of a synthetic seed surface while maintaining the microstructures and, thereby, provide clear evidence that Allium seed surfaces were highly wettable owing to the high surface energy in the epidermal material rather than a microstructural effect. We expect that this platform can facilitate study of the independent effect of microstructure on the interaction of seed surfaces with their surroundings and contribute to research on the evolution of plant–environment interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Evaluation of textured omniphobic surfaces to control droplet wetting. • Microstructural arrays patterned on a polymer using UV nanoimprint lithography. • Comparison of micropillar, microcavity, and combined hierarchical structures. • Surface tension and viscosity affect contact angles on microstructured surfaces. • Microcavity structure prevents surface wetting with low-surface-tension liquids. Surface texturing is carried out to realize a robust liquid-repellent surface, that is, a surface with a high contact angle for various liquids. Surfaces with an array of micropillars, microcavities, or a hierarchical structure composed of micropillars and microcavities were fabricated, and their wetting behaviors were evaluated. The microstructural arrays were fabricated on a flexible polymer substrate using ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography and contact angles of liquids with different surface tensions were measured and compared. Furthermore, the long-term liquid repellency of the developed surfaces was evaluated by measuring static and dynamic contact angles. The results revealed that the microcavity structure is suitable for preventing the wetting of the surface with low-surface-tension liquids, such as hexane and silicone oil. Unlike the pillar array, the microcavity structure prevented the wetting of the surface with such liquids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Solid fraction of each pattern was defined and calculated. • Surface morphology with 12 different pattern arrangements were analyzed. • Surface patterns are related to water contact angle and hydrophobicity. • Wall-pillar patterns have an air pocket effect and low solid fraction. Microstructures present on surfaces can change the surface properties of a material. In this study, various patterns – and arrangements of those patterns in different shapes – were designed in order to analyze the associated differences in surface properties related to superhydrophobicity. We categorized these surface microstructures into three different groups of patterns: (1) pillar, (2) wall, and (3) wall–pillar; and four shapes of pattern arrangement: (1) triangular, (2) square, (3) hexagonal, and (4) octagonal. Pillar-pattern microstructures exhibit a small water-contact area and the wall-pattern structures contain interconnected pillars, and as a result, an air layer is trapped when the structure comes into contact with water. Wall–pillar pattern microstructures exhibit characteristics of both walls and pillars. For the different patterns, Si master molds were used to fabricate structures from a UV-curable polyurethane acrylate resin. Measured contact angles for 5 μl water droplets on the patterned surfaces were compared according to shape, pattern, and pitch, and the pattern exhibiting the highest contact angle was further investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]