LiNaBioFluid, “Laser-induced Nanostructures as Biomimetic Model of Fluid Transport in the Integument of Animals”, was a Research and Innovation Action funded by the European Community’s Horizon 2020 - FET Open Programme (grant agreement no: 665337), which supported early-stage research on any idea for a new technology. It brought together 7 partners from 4 different countries. The project consortium was very interdisciplinary combining renowned experts from the fields of zoology, physics, mechatronics, life sciences, materials sciences, laser-matter interaction, production technology, tribology, and biomimetics. The joint project consortium formed an excellent base for fundamental and applied research in the field of biomimetic surfaces.
LiNaBioFluid aimed on laser-fabrication of biomimetic surfaces with exceptional wetting properties, which were inspired by the integument of animals. The integument of an animal body has various functions, which are often achieved by specific micro- and/or nano- hierarchical structures. Advanced laser-processing strategies based on self-organization were employed, to mimic the specific topography and the excellent wetting properties of the integument of bark bugs and moisture harvesting lizards resulting from adaptations to their environment. The outcome of this innovative biomimetic exploitation of wetting effects is expected to lead to radically new technological approach of laser-generated surface textures on a micro- and nanometer scale. Especially from a reduction in friction and wear of optimized structures in lubricants, leveraging of new results and leading to higher efficiency by reducing energy consumption can be expected.
The project LiNaBioFluid was divided into 5 work packages (WPs). WP1 takes care of project management. WP2 concentrates on the characterization and structuring of soft organic materials as the scales from lizard exuviae, the cuticles of bark bugs and their replication. WP3 focuses on self-organized laser-induced structure formation on hard inorganic materials. WP4 aims at fabricating fast fluid transport over large areas for technological applications. The activities for dissemination and exploitation of project results are handled in WP5.
In the project LiNaBioFluid, all five intended objectives have been achieved based on the unique properties of fluid transport on the integument of flat bark bugs and moisture harvesting desert lizards:
Objective 1: Directed fluid transport starting from capillaries and then expanding to plain areas covering several square centimeters within a few seconds.
Objective 2: Speed-up of fluid transport by optimized interaction between surface wetting and topography.
Objective 3: Speed-up of fluid-transport by optimized structure geometry and shape of individual micro- and nanostructures at the surface.
Objective 4: Self-organized laser-induced structure formation resembling the bark bug design on areas of several square centimeters with short processing times.
Objective 5: Laser-structured surface on hard inorganic material with bark bug design with fast transport of lubricating fluids resulting in a significant considerable reduction of the friction coefficient compared to that of a plain surface of the same material.
