The dry-style antifogging properties of mosquito compound eyes and artificial analogues prepared by soft lithography

A biological and dry-style superhydrophobic antifogging properties of mosquito C. pipines compound eyes with clear vision were studied and the artificial compound eyes were fabricated by using soft lithography to investigate the effects of micro- and nanostructures on the surface hydrophobicity. The mosquito eye compound structure composed of microscale hemisphere acted as individual sensory units ommatidia and the hierarchical micro- and nanostructures were considered as heterogeneous curved surfaces composed of air and solids. The mosquito eyes with superhydrophobic characters are found to provide antifogging for microscale fog drops and the tiny drops are tapped. The optical photography of an artificial compound eye shows that the PDMS hemisphere has uniform diameters and surface of each PDMS micro-hemisphere structures enhances the water-resistant property of the surface.