50 years on, and amid a viral pandemic, the topic of self-cleaning and hydrophobic materials has re-entered the mainstream with a vengeance.

Hydrophobic textiles or water-resistant textiles?

Hydrophobicity is not a new concept, but its applications certainly are, and especially in the medical field.

Materials in medicine are often disinfected with harsh chemicals or microbicides. The problem here is that microbes evolve resistances to these substances, quickly reducing their effectiveness.

Consistent over-application of these substances also leads to the evolution of so-called “superbugs”, such as MRSA, which are completely unaffected by common microbicides and therefore pose a serious threat of... (More)