Mexico. Two students from the National Polytechnic Institute, IPN, in Mexico City, developed an intelligent nanoparticle waterproof coating from the structure of the leaves of the lotus flower, which repel water molecules from its surface and have been the subject of research for the development of nanotechnologies capable of imitating this feature."The structure of the flower has microcells and wax nanocrystals that repel water, what we did was to copy this type of surface through nanoparticles and functional groups, managing to emulate the effect on metal surfaces," explained Martha Lidia Ruiz Sandoval, bionic engineer of the Interdisciplinary Professional Unit of Advanced Engineering and Technology -UPIITA-, of the IPN.
Ruiz added that the field of opportunity for this technology is wide and more research is needed to test the effectiveness of this coating on other surfaces such as crystals and textiles.
