Sazzadul A. Rahat

Abstract Capturing particles with low, nanonewton-scale adhesion is an ongoing challenge for conventional air filters1,2. Inspired by the natural filtration abilities of mucus-coated nasal hairs3,4, we introduce an efficient, biomimetic filter that exploits a thin liquid coating. Here we show that a stable thin liquid layer is formed on several filter media that generates enhanced particulate adhesion, driven by micronewton to sub-micronewton capillary forces5,6.

Capillary detachment of a microparticle from a liquid–liquid interface† The attachment and detachment of microparticles at a liquid–liquid interface are common in many material systems, from Pickering emulsions and colloidal assemblies to capillary suspensions. Properties of these systems rely on how the particles interact with the liquid–liquid interface, including the detachment process.