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| A drop of water balances perfectly on a plastic surface invented by researchers at Ohio State University. The surface is covered with microscopic fibers, and can be made to attract or repel water. The surface shown here is water repellant, so the drop can't spread out along the surface; instead, it retains its spherical shape. Photo by Jo McCulty, courtesy of Ohio State University. |
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| Visiting Scholar Nan-Rong Chiou places a drop of water on a plastic surface covered with microscopic fibers. Photo by Jo McCulty, courtesy of Ohio State University. |
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| A scanning electron microscope image of plastic dots deposited on a sheet of transparent film. Ohio State University researchers have invented a technique for carpeting a surface with tiny plastic fibers; the dots are "seeds" from which the fibers grow. Image courtesy of Ohio State University. |
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A scanning electron microscope image of plastic fibers grown on a sheet of transparent film. Ohio State University researchers have invented a technique for carpeting a surface with tiny plastic fibers. The fibers can be made to attract or repel water and oil. Image courtesy of Ohio State University. |