Enoki mushroom-shaped nanostructure made plastic water-repellent. Even butter and ketchup roll off it!

The material is a sheet of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), on the surface of which is applied

an artificial “forest” of tall thin nanostructures with rounded caps at the top—small copies of enoki mushrooms.

The plastic called nanoenoki PET is transparent, andliquids (water, milk, ketchup, coffee and olive oil) simply roll off its surface. Testing of the material showed that it retains its properties after 5 thousand bends.

Researchers believe that in the future it may be the ideal coating for solar cells and LEDs - probably for wearable electronics or flexible lighting.

Earlier, chemists from Australia's Deakin University found a way to use waste from the production of cotton clothing to make biodegradable plastic.