This review is focused on the realization of liquid-repellent surfaces, inspired by two biological models: “dry” superhydrophobic leaves and “slippery” liquid-repellent carnivorous plants using ultrafast laser processing. After a short introduction to a biomimetic development process, an overview of the laser-fabricated structures, which were intensively used for the realization of biomimetic “dry” and “slippery” liquid-repellent surfaces, is given. The influence of process parameters on the structure morphology is discussed. A summary of superhydrophobic and liquid-repellent modifications of different materials (metals, semiconductors, and polymers), including wettability characteristics and processing details, is provided. The technological applications of laser-structured liquid-repellent surfaces are discussed.

Implant-associated infections still pose serious problems in modern medicine. The development of fabrication processes to generate functional surfaces, which inhibit bacterial attachment, is of major importance. Sharklet™-like as well as grooves and grid micro-structures having similar dimensions were fabricated on the common implant material titanium by ultra-short pulsed laser ablation. Investigations on the biofilm formation of Staphylococcus aureus for up to 24 h revealed similarly reduced bacterial surface coverage on all micro-structures investigated compared to smooth titanium surfaces. This study is a prove-of-principle and could serve as basis for further investigations towards a structure-based biofilm-inhibiting implant.