Special wettability for sensing: Drawing inspiration from nature

Nature-inspired fabrication of surfaces with special wettability behaviour is increasingly finding applications in our daily life. Thanks to advances in manufacturing technology at the micro and nanoscale, biological paradigm-inspired physio-chemically tailored surfaces are now used in energy harvesting, biomedical-related sciences, agriculture, and sensing technology. In this review, the research progress in the fabrication of three different classes of nature-inspired surfaces with special wettability, superhydrophobic, liquid-infused slippery surfaces, and wettability contrast surfaces, and the usage of these surfaces in sensing platforms are discussed. After briefly introducing the underlying mechanisms, the progress in the fabrication strategies of surfaces with this kind of special wettability surface is described. An emphasis is put on the application progress of these surfaces in sensing applications. The prospects for the future trend of wettability materials are also presented.