POSTECH’s research team, which consists of Professor Kilwon Cho (CE) and Seung Goo Lee (CE Ph.D.) and is supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Tech- nology, investigated rice leaves’ ability of self-cleaning effect.
According to the research, a rice leaf, similar to a lotus leaf, has diminutive protuberances and roughness on its surface, making water droplets flow along the longitudinal direction of the leaf. As those water droplets flow, they wash off all the dust and bacterium on the surface so that the plant can maintain its cleanliness. Thus, this effect is called self-cleaning effect.
Using this discovery, the research team also created an artificial surface on which the path of water flowing can be controlled. By altering either the minute structure of the roughness or the size of droplets, the direction of flow could be changed. Prof. Cho, who took the lead of this research project, claimed the result of this study opened a new possibility of developing control technology over the liquid movement.
This research was put on the cover page of the current issue of Advanced Functional Materials which is a prestige press of the field of material science.