A comprehensive review on realization of self-cleaning surfaces by additive manufacturing

Self-cleaning surfaces revolutionizing the technology world due to their novel property of cleaning themselves, and its multi-functional self-cleaning surfaces exhibit at least one or more functional properties (transparent, conducting, anti-bacterial, anti-corrosion, etc.) This review article focuses on the fundamentals of wettability, material parameters controlling surface wettability and three different paths to realization of self-cleaning surfaces, i.e., (i) super-hydrophobic, (ii) super-hydrophilic and (iii) photocatalytic. The subsequent part of the article mostly focuses on the super-hydrophobic path towards realizing self-cleaning surfaces. In the super-hydrophobic path, the objective is to make the surface extremely repellent to water so that water droplets slide and ‘roll off’ from the surface. The next section of the review article focuses on the role of additive manufacturing in the fabrication of super-hydrophobic micro-structures. Amidst the different fabrication processes of self-cleaning surfaces, additive manufacturing stays ahead as it has the manufacturing capacity to create complex micro-structures in a scalable and cost-effective manner. A few prominent types of additive manufacturing processes were strategically chosen which are based on powder bed fusion, vat photopolymerization, material extrusion and material jetting techniques. All these additive manufacturing techniques have been extensively reviewed, and the relative advantages and challenges faced by each during the scalable and affordable fabrication of super-hydrophobic self-cleaning surfaces have been discussed. The article concludes with the latest developments in this field of research and future potential. These surfaces are key to answer sustainable development goals in manufacturing industries.