{"id":16814,"date":"2025-06-15T08:15:19","date_gmt":"2025-06-15T06:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/?p=16814"},"modified":"2026-09-01T16:29:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T14:29:50","slug":"lotus-effect","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/en\/lotus-effect\/","title":{"rendered":"Lotus Effect: The Fascination of Self-Cleaning Surfaces"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 ez-toc-wrap-center counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-white ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/en\/lotus-effect\/#What_is_the_lotus_effect\" title=\"What is the lotus effect?\">What is the lotus effect?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/en\/lotus-effect\/#Who_discovered_the_lotus_effect\" title=\"Who discovered the lotus effect?\">Who discovered the lotus effect?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/en\/lotus-effect\/#How_does_the_lotus_effect_work\" title=\"How does the lotus effect work?\">How does the lotus effect work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/en\/lotus-effect\/#Applications_far_beyond_biology\" title=\"Applications far beyond biology\">Applications far beyond biology<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/en\/lotus-effect\/#How_safe_are_nanocoatings_Risks_to_people_and_the_environment\" title=\"How safe are nanocoatings? Risks to people and the environment\">How safe are nanocoatings? Risks to people and the environment<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Rain hits the window, beads up, runs off and taking the dirt with it. Fa\u00e7ades, solar panels, paints, technical textiles: self-cleaning surfaces all copy one model, the leaf of the lotus flower. Here is how the lotus effect works, where biomimetics puts it to use and why nanocoatings remain controversial.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_lotus_effect\"><\/span>What is the lotus effect?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lotus effect describes how extremely water-repellent surfaces clean themselves. Water does not spread across them as a film but beads into almost perfectly spherical droplets. These roll off as soon as the surface tilts. Dust, dirt and soot particles adhere more strongly to the droplet than to the surface beneath. The droplet carries them away. An ordinary shower of rain cleans the surface, with no cleaning agents and no mechanical action.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The effect takes its name from the lotus flower, an aquatic plant whose range runs from India to China. It also grows in the east of North America. A rhizome anchors it in shallow, muddy waters, and its flowers and leaves rise only slightly above the water. In this warm, humid environment, bacteria, fungi and suspended solids reach the leaves constantly. Self-cleaning is the plant&#8217;s answer. Every rainfall carries off deposits that would otherwise damage or shade the leaf.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lotus flower is only the best-known example. The lotus effect also occurs in European plants such as common reed and nasturtium, as well as in broccoli, cauliflower and other brassicas. In these species, however, it is usually far less pronounced.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_discovered_the_lotus_effect\"><\/span>Who discovered the lotus effect?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The German botanist and biomimetics researcher Wilhelm Barthlott (b. 1946) was the first to describe the principle scientifically. Towards the end of the 1970s he investigated interfacial phenomena in plants at the University of Heidelberg. He worked with high-resolution <em>scanning electron microscopy<\/em> (SEM). With it he explained how lotus leaves clean themselves. He also coined the term lotus effect.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5035\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5035\" style=\"width: 233px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5035\" title=\"Discoverer of the lotus effect: Professor Dr Wilhelm Barthlott of the University of Heidelberg\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Professor-Dr-Wilhelm-Barthlott-Universitaet-Heidelberg.jpg\" alt=\"Professor Dr Wilhelm Barthlott discovered the lotus effect on plants\" width=\"233\" height=\"350\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Professor-Dr-Wilhelm-Barthlott-Universitaet-Heidelberg.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Professor-Dr-Wilhelm-Barthlott-Universitaet-Heidelberg-199x300.jpg 199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 233px) 100vw, 233px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5035\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Professor Dr Wilhelm Barthlott of the University of Heidelberg<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As a bio-engineer, Barthlott also worked on translating biological phenomena into technical solutions. His findings on the lotus effect laid the groundwork for giving ordinary surfaces self-cleaning properties. Today, such functional coatings are found on glass fa\u00e7ades, greenhouses, photovoltaic modules, car paint and textiles.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_does_the_lotus_effect_work\"><\/span>How does the lotus effect work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The leaf surfaces of the lotus flower carry what are known as papillae. These protrusions of the epidermis stand 10 to 20 micrometres high and sit 10 to 15 micrometres apart. They give the leaf a bumpy, studded texture.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lotus plant also produces waxes in the form of nanocrystalline lipids. Their hydrophobic properties reduce the adhesion of water to the leaf surface. Together, structure and wax keep the area of contact with water extremely small.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5041\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5041\" style=\"width: 600px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5041 size-full\" title=\"Computer graphic illustrating the surface of the lotus leaf\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Computergrafik-Oberflaeche-Lotosblatt.jpg\" alt=\"Computer graphic of the lotus leaf surface illustrating the lotus effect\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Computergrafik-Oberflaeche-Lotosblatt.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Computergrafik-Oberflaeche-Lotosblatt-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5041\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Computer graphic illustrating the surface of the lotus leaf<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When a water droplet lands on an ordinary, more or less hydrophilic surface, it wets a large contact area. The contact angle between the droplet and the surface measures less than 90\u00b0, so the droplet lies flat. If the surface is hydrophobic, or water-repellent, the droplet sits up on the lotus leaf instead. In this case the contact angle is far greater than 90\u00b0. The contact between droplet and surface is therefore extremely small.<\/p>\n<p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/en\/tubes-hoses\/tubings-and-pipes-made-of-rigid-plastics\/fep-tubing\/28715\/fep-chemical-tubing\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5065 size-full\" title=\"FEP chemical tubing for conveying liquids of every type and grade\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/fep-chemieschlauch.jpg\" alt=\"fep-chemical-tubing\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/fep-chemieschlauch.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/fep-chemieschlauch-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/en\/tubes-hoses\/tubings-and-pipes-made-of-rigid-plastics\/ptfe-tubing\/28770\/ptfe-chemical-tubing-standard\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5066 size-full\" title=\"A standard PTFE chemical tubing offers very good chemical resistance.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ptfe-chemieschlauch-standard.jpg\" alt=\"ptfe-chemical-tubing-standard\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ptfe-chemieschlauch-standard.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/ptfe-chemieschlauch-standard-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/center><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Three factors produce the lotus effect: the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/en\/interfacial-tension-explained\/\">surface tension of water<\/a>, the leaf&#8217;s structure and its naturally hydrophobic wax coating. Water is a dipole and forms hydrogen bonds. This gives the water molecules strong cohesion. That cohesion drives water to minimise its surface tension, and with it its surface area. In a gravity-free space, a contact area of zero would produce a perfectly spherical droplet. After all, for a given volume the sphere has the smallest surface area of any body.<\/p>\n<p><center><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/en\/tubes-hoses\/tubing-made-of-elastomers-soft-rubber\/nbr-tubing\/28559\/nbr-food-tubing-fda\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5072 size-full\" title=\"The NBR food hose resists animal and vegetable fats and oils\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/nbr-lebensmittelschlauch-fda.jpg\" alt=\"nbr-food-hose-fda\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/nbr-lebensmittelschlauch-fda.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/nbr-lebensmittelschlauch-fda-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/en\/tubes-hoses\/tubing-made-of-elastomers-soft-rubber\/pvc-tubing-tygon-tubing\/31151\/tygon-laboratory-and-vacuum-tubing-fda\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-5073 size-full\" title=\"The TYGON\u00ae food hose offers outstanding resistance to strongly alkaline cleaning agents\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/tygon-lebensmittelschlauch-fda.jpg\" alt=\"tygon-food-hose-fda\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/tygon-lebensmittelschlauch-fda.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/tygon-lebensmittelschlauch-fda-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/center><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The lotus leaf is superhydrophobic. Here the contact angle reaches up to 170\u00b0. Only around 0.6 % of the droplet surface remains in contact with the plant surface. The water droplets therefore adopt an almost spherical shape.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The extremely small contact area also means low adhesion, so the droplets barely stick. Water rolls off the leaf at the slightest incline, carrying dust and dirt particles with it. For materials science this was an important insight, and the lotus effect has been influential ever since.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_16817\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-16817\" style=\"width: 400px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-16817 size-full\" title=\"Contact area of a water droplet on hydrophilic, hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/contact-area-of-a-water-droplet-on-different-surfaces.png\" alt=\"Lotus effect: Contact area of a water droplet on hydrophilic, hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces\" width=\"400\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/contact-area-of-a-water-droplet-on-different-surfaces.png 400w, https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/contact-area-of-a-water-droplet-on-different-surfaces-200x300.png 200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-16817\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><center>Contact area of a water droplet on hydrophilic, hydrophobic and superhydrophobic surfaces<center><\/center><\/center><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Applications_far_beyond_biology\"><\/span>Applications far beyond biology<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Dirt-repellent material surfaces that clean themselves in the rain were long a technical aspiration. The appeal was economic, since such surfaces promised considerable savings. The wish list ran from the glass fa\u00e7ades of modern buildings to greenhouses and conservatories. Vehicles and their windscreens were on it too. For a long time, none of it was technically feasible. At home, too, windows that never need cleaning were a long-standing wish.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Applications modelled on the lotus effect have since become reality. Modern photovoltaic systems benefit as well, because soiling quickly costs them output.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Particles between one and 100 nanometres in size, known as nanoparticles, make the technical lotus effect possible. Applied to smooth surfaces such as panes of glass, they form nanostructures modelled on nature. Manufacturers either fix such functional coatings in place during production or apply them afterwards as a water-repellent formulation. The material of choice is often nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2), which sees wide use well beyond surface technology. As a non-yellowing white pigment it goes into writing and printing paper, into paints and into plastics. It also serves as a brightener in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, as a mineral UV absorber in sunscreens and as the food colouring <strong>E 171<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5046\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5046\" style=\"width: 430px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5046\" title=\"Self-cleaning glass: the difference between ordinary glass and glass with a hydrophobic surface\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Selbstreinigendes-Glas.jpg\" alt=\"The lotus effect on a window pane that cleans itself\" width=\"430\" height=\"353\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Selbstreinigendes-Glas.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Selbstreinigendes-Glas-300x246.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5046\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Self-cleaning glass: the difference between ordinary glass and glass with a hydrophobic surface<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_safe_are_nanocoatings_Risks_to_people_and_the_environment\"><\/span>How safe are nanocoatings? Risks to people and the environment<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The physical properties of nanomaterials are impressive. They let engineers copy effects such as the surface protection of the lotus leaf. Artificial nanostructures can reduce the wettability of material surfaces or eliminate it entirely. Water then no longer wets the surface but drips off it. Dirt particles find no firm hold, and the water carries them away.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Even so, treating surfaces with nanoparticles remains controversial. Nanomaterials released into the environment end up affecting us too.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Hydrophobised functional surfaces shed nanoparticles mainly through mechanical abrasion, but also through leaching. Surfaces coated after manufacture are naturally more affected. Materials with the nanostructures firmly integrated into the surface hold up better. This becomes obvious with the commercially available nano-sealant kits used to make car windows water-repellent. The water- and dirt-repellent coatings they produce do not last. They are, however, a potential source of nanoparticles in the environment.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_5053\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-5053\" style=\"width: 430px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-5053\" title=\"The lotus effect on a lotus leaf: the water beads off.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Lotoseffekt-1.jpg\" alt=\"Lotus effect on a lotus leaf\" width=\"430\" height=\"323\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Lotoseffekt-1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.rct-online.de\/magazin\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Lotoseffekt-1-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 430px) 100vw, 430px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-5053\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lotus effect<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Released nanoparticles can enter the body through the lungs or the food chain. Once inside, they can cause lasting harm. Nanoparticles in the airways are the main concern. Researchers suspect they raise the risk of lung cancer substantially, on a scale discussed as comparable to asbestos. Studies also point to tissue changes and inflammatory reactions in the gastrointestinal tract caused by nanoparticles. They can impede blood circulation in the capillaries and lead to serious circulatory disorders that medication can barely address.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Imitating nature with nanobiotechnology confronts researchers with a dual task. They must study and assess not only the positive effects but also the harmful ones. Any careless or negligent handling of nanomaterials can become a danger to people and the environment.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<pre><strong>Image sources:\r\n<\/strong>Professor Dr. Wilhelm Barthlott | \u00a9 Issempa \u2013 commons.wikimedia.org\r\nComputer graphic of lotus leaf | \u00a9 William Thielicke \/ Willa~commonswiki \u2013 de.wikipedia.org\r\nSelf-cleaning glass | \u00a9 Ren\u00e9 F. Appenzeller \/ Appi-TV \u2013 de.wikipedia.org\r\nLotus effect | \u00a9 H. Zell \/ Llez \u2013 de.wikipedia.org<\/pre>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rain hits the window, beads up, runs off and taking the dirt with it. Fa\u00e7ades, solar panels, paints, technical textiles: self-cleaning surfaces all copy one model, the leaf of the lotus flower. Here is how the lotus effect works, where biomimetics puts it to use and why nanocoatings remain controversial. What is the lotus effect? &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":12220,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3028,2743],"tags":[2753,3033,4371,4372,4373,4377,4376,4375,3730,2775,4374,2779],"class_list":["post-16814","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-alle-beitraege-en","category-chemical-plants","tag-fda-en","tag-fep-en","tag-lotus-effect","tag-lotus-flower","tag-lotus-leaf-and-water","tag-nanobiotechnology","tag-nanocoating","tag-nanomaterials","tag-nbr-en","tag-ptfe-en","tag-self-cleaning-surfaces","tag-tygon-en"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Lotus Effect: The Fascination of Self-Cleaning Surfaces<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The lotus effect makes surfaces self-cleaning, and nanocoatings bring it into industry. 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