Hydrophobic materials have received much interest due to their excellent water-repellent characteristics and various uses such as self-cleaning, anti-corrosion, anti-icing, oil-water separation, biomedical engineering and flexible electronics. This paper gives an overview of the theoretical bases, nature-inspired design rules, artificial materials, fabrication methods and practical applications of hydrophobic materials. In addition to reviewing the theoretical principles, bioinspired designs, material systems and fabrication strategies of hydrophobic materials, this paper includes an illustrative experimental case study on cellulose-based hydrophobic composites prepared through hydrothermal synthesis and biomimetic PDMS replication. The experimental section demonstrates how the reviewed design concepts can be translated into practical material preparation. At last, the present problems and potential developments are also discussed.
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