Facile Fabrication of Self-Similar Hierarchical Micro-Nano Structures for Multifunctional Surfaces via Solvent-Assisted UV-Lasering

Cross-scale self-similar hierarchical micro–nano structures in living systems often provide unique features on surfaces and serve as inspiration sources for artificial materials or devices. For instance, a highly self-similar structure often has a higher fractal dimension and, consequently, a larger active surface area; hence, it would have a super surface performance compared to its peer. However, artificial self-similar surfaces with hierarchical micro–nano structures and their application development have not yet received enough attention. Here, by introducing solvent-assisted UV-lasering, we establish an elegant approach to fabricate self-similar hierarchical micro–nano structures on silicon. The self-similar structure exhibits a super hydrophilicity, a high light absorbance (>90%) in an ultra-broad spectrum (200–2500 nm), and an extraordinarily high efficiency in heat transfer. Through further combinations with other techniques, such surfaces can be used for capillary assembling soft electronics, surface self-cleaning, and so on. Furthermore, such an approach can be transferred to other materials with minor modifications. For instance, by doping carbon in polymer matrix, a silicone surface with hierarchical micro–nano structures can be obtained. By selectively patterning such hierarchical structures, we obtained an ultra-high sensitivity bending sensor. We believe that such a fabrication technique of self-similar hierarchical micro–nano structures may encourage researchers to deeply explore the unique features of functional surfaces with such structures and to further discover their potentials in various applications in diverse directions.