Advances on the mechanical robustness of superhydrophobic surfaces: Strategies, fabrication, and test

Since the discovery of the self-cleaning property of lotus leaves, superhydrophobic surfaces have attracted significant attention due to their great potential in various engineering applications, including self-cleaning, enhanced heat transfer, antifouling, antibacterial, anti-icing, and droplet manipulation. However, their structural fragility continues to limit practical implementation. In recent years, remarkable progress has been made in developing mechanically robust superhydrophobic surfaces, covering aspects such as wetting theory, structured surface design, and advanced fabrication techniques. Nevertheless, a systematic review of these recent achievements is still lacking, which is crucial for providing new insights and guiding future research. Therefore, this paper comprehensively reviews recent advances in four key areas—wetting theory, robust superhydrophobic surface design strategies, advanced fabrication techniques, and testing methodologies—aiming to identify potential future research directions and offer new perspectives for the development of superhydrophobic surfaces.