Superwetting Patterned Membranes with an Anisotropy/Isotropy Transition: Towards Signal Expression and Liquid Permeation

Abstract Superwetting membranes with responsive properties have attracted heightened attention because of their fine‐tunable surface wettability. However, their functional diversity is severely limited by the “black‐or‐white” wettability transition. Herein, we describe a coating strategy to fabricate multifunctional responsive superwetting membranes with SiO 2 /octadecylamine patterns. The adjustable patterns in the responsive region are the key factor for functional diversity. Specifically, the coated part of the membrane displayed a superhydrophobicity/superhydrophilicity transition at different pH values, whereas the uncoated part exhibited invariant superhydrophilicity. On the basis of this anisotropy/isotropy transition, the membranes can serve as either responsive permeable membranes or signal‐expression membranes, thus enabling the responsive separation and permeation of liquids with satisfactory separation efficiency (>99.90 %) and flux (ca. 60 L m −2 h), as well as real‐time liquid signal expression with alterable signals.