Have you ever had such an experience? When going out on a rainy day, the carefully matched clothes are stained by splashing water; When drinking coffee, my hands slipped carelessly, and the brown liquid left an embarrassing mark on the white shirt; The mobile phone accidentally fell into the water, and a "catastrophe" of data and memory was staged instantly. In the "confrontation" between human beings and liquids for thousands of years, we always seem to be on the passive side. However, just recently, a revolution triggered by "super hydrophobic" technology is quietly changing all this.

Imagine if there is a material that can make all liquids feel frightened, instantly turn into invisible water droplets on its surface, and then roll down mercilessly without leaving a trace. It sounds like the plot in a science fiction movie, but an American company named NeverWet has turned this dream into reality. The Ultra-Ever Dry material they developed is like putting an "invisible raincoat" on an object, which can resist the adhesion of almost all liquids.

So, how does this magical "invisible raincoat" work? The answer is hidden in two seemingly contradictory words: microstructure and nanoscale. Ultra-Ever Dry does not simply form a smooth coating on the surface of an object, but uses a unique spraying technology to build a complex grid on the surface of the material, which is invisible to the naked eye and consists of countless tiny protrusions and depressions.

The mystery of this grid is that it greatly reduces the contact area between liquid and object surface. When water, oil and even more viscous liquid come into contact with this coating, they can't penetrate into these tiny gaps, but only float on the raised "tips". This state of suspension makes the surface tension of the liquid dominate, forcing them to shrink quickly into nearly perfect spherical water droplets, and then roll effortlessly on the inclined plane like marbles. This is the so-called "lotus leaf effect"-the well-known principle that lotus leaves do not touch water, which is now copied and surpassed by human beings in a brand-new way.

The appearance of Ultra-Ever Dry not only solves the small troubles in our lives, but also brings subversive application prospects in many fields. In the field of architecture, it can be sprayed on exterior walls, roofs and sidewalks, effectively preventing rain erosion and mold growth, and even preventing graffiti paint from adhering, so that the city can always maintain a brand-new look. On vehicles, the windshield and mirror of automobiles are sprayed with this coating, which can maintain a clear vision even in heavy rain and greatly improve driving safety. In the textile industry, we can imagine that one day, our sports shoes, coats and even backpacks will have this "self-cleaning" function, and we will no longer be afraid of any spills or stains.

The more ambitious vision is in the industrial and medical fields. For example, ships working at sea can effectively reduce the attachment of marine life and fuel consumption after their hulls and equipment are sprayed with Ultra-Ever Dry. Applying this technology to surgical instruments can prevent blood and body fluids from adhering and simplify the cleaning and disinfection process.

Of course, the birth of any new technology is accompanied by challenges. Ultra-Ever Dry's wear resistance, durability and application effect in different materials are still being optimized. But it is undeniable that the "super hydrophobic" technology represented by it is opening a new era. In this era, we no longer passively compete with liquids, but actively let them become our "passers-by".

（Writer：Frid）