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Open research questions in Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity

152 gap statements mined from Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,969 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • The gap is the lack of understanding of the effects of cyclic hydrostatic pressure on PSBM's water absorption behavior. There is a need to establish a life prediction model for PSBM based on its water absorption behavior.

    Effects of cyclic hydrostatic pressure on the water absorption of polymer matrix solid buoyancy material · 2026 · DOI

  • Achieving high-efficiency atmospheric water collection remains a significant challenge. Prior surfaces have limitations in terms of water collection efficiency and scalability. There is a need for a scalable and light-weight strategy for high-efficiency atmospheric water collection.

    Fabrication of a Hierarchical Bioinspired Super-Contrast Wettability Surface for Enhanced Atmospheric Water Collection · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the current research as the need for a numerical model to simulate droplet adhesion on superhydrophobic surfaces. The gap is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred as the lack of a model that can predict the variation in adhesion force during different stages of droplet probe microscopy.

    Simulating droplet adhesion on superhydrophobic surfaces · 2026 · DOI

  • It highlights the need to investigate the influence of groove orientation on air-layer stability.

    Effect of groove orientation on drag reduction of superhydrophobic surfaces · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions for improving the fire performance of epoxy resin. The need for alternative fillers that can enhance the thermal stability and flammability behavior of epoxy resin. The potential for waste recycling and sustainable applications of Posidonia oceanica.

    Thermal Degradation and Fire Behavior of Posidonia oceanica Epoxy Composites · 2025 · DOI

  • Nevertheless, a systematic review of these recent achievements is still lacking, which is crucial for providing new insights and guiding future research.

    Advances on the mechanical robustness of superhydrophobic surfaces: Strategies, fabrication, and test · 2026 · DOI

  • Silane-based self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are widely used to passivate semiconductor surfaces, yet their coverage on nanopatterned, high-aspect-ratio (HAR) structures remains unclear.

    Modulating Silane Monolayer Grafting on Nanopatterned Silicon: Insights from Infrared-Spectroscopy-Based Air-Trapping Monitoring · 2026 · DOI

  • Focusing on eight categories of smart-responsive materials (temperature, pH, light, electricity, gas, ion, solvent, and multi-response), the response mechanisms, application advantages, and limitations of each material type in oil–water separation are analyzed in depth.

    Biomimetic Multi-Responsive Superwettable Materials for Oil–Water Separation · 2026 · DOI

  • Conventional gravity-based methods have low efficiency. Emulsions are highly stable due to the presence of asphaltenes, resins, and fine solids. Limited information on the performance of separation methods under various conditions.

    Mechanism-Oriented Review of Crude Oil Emulsion Separa-tion: Interfacial Chemistry and Droplet Dynamics · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of environmentally friendly and non-toxic antibacterial coatings for textiles. The need for coatings that can provide multiple functionalities, such as antibacterial, superhydrophobic, and UV protection.

    Antibacterial Cotton Fabric with Fluorine-Free Superhydrophobicity and UV Protection via 3D Flower-Like TiO2 Microparticles/PDMS Coating · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies can investigate the effects of other geometrical parameters on wettability. The method can be applied to other materials and surfaces to create high-performance liquid-repellent surfaces.

    Asymmetric Re-Entrant Texture for Water Droplet Sliding Using Laser-Fabricated Molds for Film-Based Imprinting · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap is that most designs are not spectrally optimized for LiDAR, risking attenuation or back-reflection at 905 nm. The gap is that hydrophobic and photothermal functions are mostly separated into multilayers, increasing thickness, cost, and interfacial losses.

    Plasmonic nanocomposite helices for weather-adaptive LiDAR function · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of effective surface protection for bamboo against weathering and biological colonization. The need for a durable and superhydrophobic coating that can withstand various environmental stresses. The limited understanding of the relationship between coating composition, surface structure, and durability.

    Mechanism-Guided Spray Deposition of Rutile TiO2/Epoxy/ODTMS Superhydrophobic Coatings for Weather-Resistant Bamboo Sand Barriers · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigate the effects of different loading conditions on the water absorption behavior of PSBM. Study the water absorption behavior of other types of polymer-matrix solid buoyancy materials.

    Effects of cyclic hydrostatic pressure on the water absorption of polymer matrix solid buoyancy material · 2026 · DOI

  • Achieving the dual functionality of 'transparent + superhydrophobic' is challenging due to the low light transmittance of superhydrophobic materials. Existing superhydrophobic materials often have low transparency.

    Transparent Superhydrophobic and Self-Cleaning Coating · 2024 · DOI

  • The development of a simple and rapid approach for preparing SH coatings remains an important research priority. Prior fabrication techniques for SH coatings often involve complex procedures and are difficult to apply to complex curved substrates.

    Rapid fabrication of superhydrophobic/superaerophilic coatings via flame pyrolysis of PDMS for drag reduction · 2026 · DOI

  • Developing biomass-based superwetting foams for efficient emulsion separation. Achieving high-performance separation of surfactant-stabilized water-in-oil emulsions. Exhibiting excellent anti-fouling performance and recyclability.

    Collagen Fibers-Derived Superhydrophobic Foams for High-Performance Separation of Stable Emulsions · 2026 · DOI

  • Studying the contact line dynamics, microscale interface dynamics, and variation in the advancing and receding contact angle along the droplet perimeter. Investigating the quantitative analysis and design of a variety of superhydrophobic surfaces. Exploring more accurate surface characterization based on droplet adhesion force measurements.

    Simulating droplet adhesion on superhydrophobic surfaces · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the effect of groove orientation on drag reduction at higher Reynolds numbers, - Studying the impact of varying groove widths on air-layer stability, - Exploring the application of superhydrophobic surfaces in different industrial…

    Effect of groove orientation on drag reduction of superhydrophobic surfaces · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the fabrication of hydrophobic surfaces using Digital Light Processing technology, particularly in understanding the influence of texture geometry, feature dimensions, and resin type on surface wettability.

    Feasibility Assessment of Hydrophobic Surface Creation via Digital Light Processing: Influence of Texture Geometry, Composition, and Resin Type · 2025 · DOI

  • Further study on the mechanisms of crude oil emulsion separation. Development of new technologies and methods for emulsion separation. Investigation of the potential of semiconductor and hybrid systems in designing efficient crude oil emulsion separation technologies.

    Mechanism-Oriented Review of Crude Oil Emulsion Separa-tion: Interfacial Chemistry and Droplet Dynamics · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the long-term durability of the coating. Assessing the effectiveness of the coating against other types of bacteria. Developing coatings for other types of textiles, such as upholstery and carpets.

    Antibacterial Cotton Fabric with Fluorine-Free Superhydrophobicity and UV Protection via 3D Flower-Like TiO2 Microparticles/PDMS Coating · 2026 · DOI

  • Exploring durability and structural reinforcement of the nanohelical platform, - Investigating the use of different materials for the passivation layer, - Developing more efficient methods for fabricating the plasmonic nanocomposite…

    Plasmonic nanocomposite helices for weather-adaptive LiDAR function · 2026 · DOI

  • Investigating the independent contribution of rutile TiO2, - Evaluating the performance of the coating in different environmental conditions, - Studying the effect of the coating on the mechanical properties…

    Mechanism-Guided Spray Deposition of Rutile TiO2/Epoxy/ODTMS Superhydrophobic Coatings for Weather-Resistant Bamboo Sand Barriers · 2026 · DOI

  • While previous reviews treated superhydrophobicity and photothermal effects in isolation, this work pioneers a systematic analysis of their synergistic interplay—a critical, underexplored mechanism where superhydrophobicity preserves photothermal efficiency by minimizing water-induced heat loss, while photothermal activity prevents surface fouling that compromises non-wetting performance.

    Photothermal Superhydrophobic Textiles: An Emerging Paradigm from Passive Water Repellency to Active Thermal Management · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity

Most recent work

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The gap is the lack of understanding of the effects of cyclic hydrostatic pressure on PSBM's water absorption behavior (“Effects of cyclic hydrostatic pressure on the water absorption of polymer…”, 2026); (2) There is a need for a scalable and light-weight strategy for high-efficiency atmospheric water collection (“Fabrication of a Hierarchical Bioinspired Super-Contrast Wettability Surface…”, 2026); (3) The gap is not explicitly stated, but it can be inferred as the lack of a model that can predict the variation in adhesion force during different stages of droplet probe microscopy (“Simulating droplet adhesion on superhydrophobic surfaces”, 2026); (4) A systematic review of these recent achievements is still lacking, which is crucial for providing new insights and guiding future research (“Advances on the mechanical robustness of superhydrophobic surfaces: Strategies,…”, 2026); (5) Silane-based self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are widely used to passivate semiconductor surfaces, yet their coverage on nanopatterned, high-aspect-ratio (HAR) structures remains unclear (“Modulating Silane Monolayer Grafting on Nanopatterned Silicon: Insights from…”, 2026). 152 gap statements have been mined from Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity papers in our 7.9M-paper local library, which holds 2,969 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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