Scientists at North Carolina State University have developed a remarkable new material that can repel nearly all liquids—even when stretched to five times its original length.
This breakthrough could be useful for technologies such as soft robots, wearable electronics, and artificial skin patches that must bend, stretch, and survive in harsh conditions.
The research shows a cleaner, more durable way to make these ultra-repellent materials without relying on harmful chemical solvents.
Materials that repel liquids extremely well are known as superomniphobic materials.
Unlike waterproof surfaces that only repel water, these advanced materials can resist a wide range of liquids, including oils, acids, bases, and chemical solvents.
This makes them valuable in environments where ordinary materials would quickly break down or become contaminated.
Traditionally, scientists create such surfaces by spraying a coating filled with tiny particles onto a material. The coating forms a rough texture that prevents liquids from sticking.
However, this method has a major weakness. When the material stretches too much—more than doubling in length—the coating cracks or peels off, causing the liquid-repelling ability to disappear.
To solve this problem, researchers previously added microscopic pillars to the surface before applying the coating. These tiny structures helped hold the coating in place even when the material stretched. While effective, the process still relied on spray coatings and chemical solvents.
In the new study, the team replaced the coating step entirely by using laser ablation. This technique uses powerful laser pulses to sculpt the material’s surface directly. The laser creates both the tiny pillar-like structures and the rough texture needed to repel liquids, all in a single step. Because the pattern is built into the material itself, there is nothing to peel off when stretched.
Finding the right laser settings was crucial. The researchers needed to determine the best combination of laser power, speed, and pulse spacing to achieve the desired effect. Instead of relying on slow trial-and-error testing, they used a machine-learning system to identify the optimal conditions. This approach dramatically reduced the time needed to develop the material.
The team tested the method on a rubber-like substance known for its flexibility. The result was a surface that remained super-repellent even after being stretched to five times its original size and after more than 5,000 stretching cycles. Liquids continued to slide off easily, showing that the material’s performance was highly durable.
This new technique offers several advantages. It avoids the use of harsh chemical solvents, making the process more environmentally friendly. It is also potentially cheaper and easier to scale up for manufacturing. In the future, such materials could be used in protective clothing, medical devices, flexible electronics, and robots designed to operate in extreme environments.
By combining laser technology with artificial intelligence, the researchers have created a platform for designing next-generation surfaces that stay functional even under extreme stretching.
It is a promising step toward materials that are not only tough and flexible, but also able to shrug off almost anything spilled on them.
