Hairy plants aid oil-absorbing material design

The hairy leaves of plants that repel water but absorb oil are being studied by scientists in Germany who hope they can use the structure to design better materials for mopping up oil spills.

Many prototype oil-absorbing materials are based on sponge-like porous polymers and aerogels, but Hendrik Hölscher’s group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology has taken a different approach. The group has designed and patented a plant-inspired material that uses lots of tiny hairs to trap oil.

This article provides a link to coverage by Chemistry World.