Researchers from Ohio State University have created surfaces that, seen with the eye, look as flat and transparent as a sheet of glass - but when seen up close, the surfaces are actually carpeted with tiny fibers.

These tiny plastic fibers may lead to future technological applications: self-cleaning surfaces, transparent electronics, and biomedical tools that manipulate strands of DNA.

The patent-pending technology involves a method for growing a bed of fibers of a specific length, and using chemical treatments to tailor the fibers' properties, which the researcher fully described in the June issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

As explained by Arthur J. Epstein, Distinguished University Professor of chemistry and physics and director of the university's Institute for Magnetic and Electronic Polymers:

"One of the good things about working with these polymers is that you're able to structure them in many different ways. Plus, we found that we can coat almost any surface with these fibers.

Scientists could use the fibers as a platform to study how DNA interacts with other molecules. They could also use the spread-out DNA to build new nanostructures.

We're very excited about where this kind of development can take us."

Find more details from OSU Research News.

[In Photo: A drop of water balances perfectly on a plastic surface invented by researchers at ohio state University. The surface is covered with microscopic fibers, and can be made to attract or repel water. The surface shown here is water repellant, so the drop can't spread out along the surface; instead, it retains its spherical shape. (Credit: Photo by Jo McCulty, courtesy of Ohio State University)]