Superhydrophilic (superwetting) surfaces: A review on fabrication and application

The ability of water to lie on a surface as a flat film rather than in form of droplets is one of the crucial surface properties which play an important role in many practical applications, including oil in water separation, water treatment, pervaporation and biomedical. This article reviews the recent achievements in the design, fabrication and applications of superhydrophilic surfaces as well as provides a perspective on potential outlook for future advances. (C) 2016 The Korean Society of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.