SpotLESS is a spray-on coating that keeps surfaces clean without the use of harsh chemicals. This coating repels liquids, dirt, bacteria, mineral deposits and more. It contains “nano brushes” with a liquid inspired by the slippery surface of the cup-shaped plant – the flytrap. SpotLESS can keep surfaces like toilets clean, drastically reducing the amount of water and cleaning chemicals needed. It is available for home use, and can be sprayed on glass and ceramics in the environment.

SpotLESS Materials is passionate about bionics. They look at plants and insects under a microscope and try to understand how form relates to function. For example, they often look at micro/nano-structures on a plant and can understand how this makes a natural material very water-resistant. They love making useful things. They notice interesting surface properties in nature, understand physics, and use what they learn to create advanced materials. Before starting the company, their founding team worked in academia and conducted research in the fields of natural sciences and bionics.

Challenge

Surface contamination can affect a wide range of industries and the resulting cleanup can be very expensive and time-consuming. It is estimated that 3.58 T liters of fresh water are flushed away in the United States each year (enough to meet 68 % of global drinking water needs). Reducing the amount of labor, cleaning chemicals, and flushing required to keep toilets and other surfaces clean has enormous potential for water and energy savings.

The bionic story

Tropical pitcher plants catch insects and other small prey when they land on the rounded edge of the plant and fall off because of their coating, ending up in a pool of digestive juices. The carnivorous pitcher plant (Nepenthes bicalcarata) has no digestive organs, but secretes enzymes that contain proteins. It has elongated leaves, and the flowers are cup-shaped and reddish in color. On the rounded edges of the flowers, the plant secretes a sweet liquid that attracts insects with its smell. The coating of the rounded edge is especially slippery, so insects have a hard time sticking to it and escaping. The plant retains a thin wet layer on the surface, which drastically reduces friction between the plant and the legs of insects.

Visit us on social media (Facebook, Instagram)

Summarized by AskNature.org