Surface hydrophobicity of slippery zones in the pitchers of two Nepenthes species and a hybrid.

ABSTRACT: To investigate the hydrophobicity of slippery zones, static contact angle measurement and microstructure observation of slippery surfaces from two Nepenthes species and a hybrid were conducted. Marginally different static contact angles were observed, as the smallest (133.83°) and greatest (143.63°) values were recorded for the N. alata and N. miranda respectively, and the median value (140.40°) was presented for the N. khasiana. The slippery zones under investigation exhibited rather similar surface morphologies, but different structural dimensions. These findings probably suggest that the geometrical dimensions of surface architecture exert primary effects on differences in the hydrophobicity of the slippery zone. Based on the Wenzel and Cassie-Baxter equations, models were proposed to a

SUBMITTER: Wang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4728604 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature