New metal is so hydrophobic it makes water bounce like magic

Thanks, we missed that one. Had the story not been discussed yesterday we would swap the url, but in this case we'll bury the post as a duplicate.

Here is what the actual pattern on the platinum looks like:

http://scitation.aip.org/docserver/fulltext/aip/journal/jap/...

Almost certainly. I would also expect contamination (finger oils, for example) to be a big issue.

(Source: I worked on and designed equipment for commercial scale-up of a nanoscale superhydrophobic coating process)

I've been wondering the same thing... Besides, there are other differences between lab environment and the "real world" - actual water is full of impurities (e.g. limescale, urea in pee, mud, salt, acid rain, ...), I wonder if the material retains its hydrophobic properties. The other thing that worries me probably even more than "wear-and-tear" (i.e. scratches, abrasion, ...) is dust - once dust covers the fine nano-structure, water will once again stick to it, and it might well be impossible to clean!

Regarding durability, the article says

> Instead of using chemical coatings they used lasers to etch a nanostructure on the metal itself. It will not wear off, like current less effective methods.

On the 2nd floor of Wean Hall at CMU somebody has sprayed a small patch of hydrophobic coating on one of the urinals (I think it's the 2nd floor, but definitely it's floor 2, 4, or 5). The stream normally turns into a "sheet" falling down the back of the porcelain, except around the patch -- where it hops off and turns into a thousand little droplets that bounce merrily down to the drain. Unless the person who put it there keeps re-applying it, the coating has had an impressive lifespan (at least 1 year in a semi-public toilet). Anyway, if you happen to be in the area (and male) you can try it yourself.