Ultrafast laser-assisted hybrid fabrication of biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces: strategies, mechanisms, and applications

Abstract

Metal matrix composites are widely employed in aerospace and marine engineering due to their excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability. However, their surfaces remain vulnerable to corrosion, icing, and mechanical wear, severely compromising long-term reliability in harsh environments. Inspired by natural superhydrophobic surfaces such as lotus leaves, functional interfaces with high water repellency and interfacial stability can be engineered through the synergistic design of hierarchical micro/nanostructures and low-surface-energy chemical modifications. Ultrafast laser processing enables precise microstructural fabrication by delivering ultrashort pulses, offering key advantages such as non-contact interaction, minimal heat-affected zones, and high spatial resolution. Nevertheless, single-step laser processing may introduce defects such as recast layers and microcracks, which undermine surface integrity. Recent advances have demonstrated that hybrid strategies integrating ultrafast laser processing with chemical deposition, functional coatings, or other synergistic methods can construct robust multiscale surfaces with enhanced durability. These hybrid interfaces exhibit superior resistance to corrosion, ice nucleation, and bio-adhesion, while enabling advanced functionalities such as directional droplet transport and oil–water separation. This review summarizes recent advances in ultrafast laser-based hybrid strategies for fabricating superhydrophobic metal surfaces, elucidates wetting models and processing mechanisms, highlights applications in anti-corrosion and anti-icing, and outlines potential directions for future research.