Directional water self‐transport plays a crucial role in diverse applications such as biosensing and water harvesting. Despite extensive progress, current strategies for directional water self‐transport are restricted to a short self‐driving distance, single function, and complicated fabrication methods. Here, a lubricant‐infused heterogeneous superwettability surface (LIHSS) for directional water self‐transport is proposed on polyimide (PI) film through femtosecond laser direct writing and lubricant infusion. By tuning the parameters of the femtosecond laser, the wettability of PI film can be transformed into superhydrophobic or superhydrophilic. After trapping water droplets on the superhydrophilic surface and depositing excess lubricant, the asymmetrical wetting ridge drives water droplets by an attractive capillary force on the LIHSS. Notably, the maximum droplet self‐driving distance can approach ≈3 mm, which is nearly twice as long as the previously reported strategies for direction water self‐transport. Significantly, it is demonstrated that this strategy makes it possible to achieve water self‐transport, anti‐gravity pumping, and chemical microreaction on a tilted LIHSS. This work provides an efficient method to fabricate a promising platform for realizing directional water self‐transport.

On account of their wide range of applications in self-cleaning, anti-icing, frost suppression, etc., superhydrophobic surfaces have attracted considerate attention. However, most of the superhydrophobic surfaces can only be prepared on the surfaces of specific materials and are easily damaged in the case of friction. In this work, we propose a facile method to achieve superhydrophobicity on various substrate surfaces. By femtosecond laser direct processing, micron-level grooves and protrusions are constructed on substrates to form a protective layer. Then, the substrates covered by polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) were scanned to make the surfaces of the substrates superhydrophobic. Since the PTFE micro–nano-particles are evenly distributed on the grooves and protrusions, the surfaces exhibit robust superhydrophobicity with excellent anti-friction performance that is independent of the substrate properties. This work provides an efficient and environmentally friendly path for achieving robust superhydrophobic surfaces on various substrates.

This review covers recent advances in femtosecond laser-structured Janus membranes with asymmetric surface wettability.

Solar-driven vapor generation is a sustainable and environmentally friendly method for water purification. Despite recent progress on photothermal steam generation, the rate of vapor generation remains low. Here, we enhance the vapor generation rate by combining solar-driven thermal and wind effects on a femtosecond-laser-textured superhydrophilic copper foam surface. Significant solar power can be absorbed and transformed into heat on the treated surface. This solar power can also be converted into electric power to generate wind to further accelerate steam generation. The upper superhydrophilic foam surface facilitates the continuous supply of water. A pre-wetted polyurethane sponge minimizes heat loss by preventing direct contact between the heated foam and bulk water. The as-prepared evaporator achieved a water evaporation rate of ∼7.6 kg m⁻² h⁻¹ under one sun irradiation (1 kW m⁻²) at a wind speed of 3 m s⁻¹. This is a promising technology for enhancing water evaporation rates in seawater desalination and wastewater treatment applications.