Environmentally sensitive nanostructured surfaces

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a substrate having a surface

a volume-tunable-material on said surface; and

fluid-support-structures over said surface, each of said fluid-support-structures being partially embedded in said volume-tunable-material wherein

side portions of said fluid-support-structures contact said volume-tunable-material and tops of said fluid-support-structures protrude out of said volume-tunable-material,

each of said fluid-support-structures has at least one dimension of about 1 millimeter or less and

said fluid-support-structures are moveable in response to a volume transition of said volume-tunable-material.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said volume-tunable-material comprises a polymer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said volume transition is caused by a change in moisture content of said volume-tunable-material.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said fluid-support-structures are configured to move such that a distance between tops of said fluid-support-structures and a base layer decreases when a volume of said volume-tunable-material decreases and increases when said volume increases.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said fluid-support-structures are configured to move such that a wetability of said surface is increased in response to a decreased volume of said volume-tunable-material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said fluid-support-structures are flexibly attached to said substrate.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said fluid-support-structures are physically separated from said substrate.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said fluid-support-structures comprise one of posts or on-edge planes.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said volume transition is responsive to one or more of temperature changes, pH changes, dissolved ion concentration changes, and illumination level changes.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said substrate is incorporated into a wearable article.

11. A method, comprising:

adjusting the wettability of a substrate surface by moving fluid-support-structures located over said surface in response to a volume transition of a volume-tunable-material located on said surface, wherein

each of said fluid-support-structures has at least one dimension of about 1 millimeter or less and said fluid-support-structures are partially embedded in said volume-tunable-material, and

side portions of said fluid-support-structures contact said volume-tunable-material and tops of said fluid-support-structures protrude out of said volume-tunable-material.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein moving said fluid-support-structures cause a decreased distance between tops of said fluid-support-structures and a base layer of said surface when a volume of said volume-tunable-material decreases, and an increased distance between said tops and said base layer when said volume decreases.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said volume transition is caused by a change in an environmental condition in contact with said volume-tunable-material.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said changed environmental condition is one or more of a humidity level, temperature, concentration of an ion in a fluid located on said surface or an illumination level.

15. A method, comprising:

locating fluid-support-structures over a substrate surface; and

forming a volume-tunable-material on said substrate surface and in contact with said fluid-support-structures such that said fluid support structures are partially embedded in said volume-tunable material and side portions of said fluid-support-structures contact said volume-tunable-material and tops of said fluid-support-structures protrude out of said volume-tunable-material,

wherein each of said fluid-support-structures has at least one dimension of about 1 millimeter or less and said fluid-support-structures are moveable in response to a volume transition of said volume-tunable-material.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein forming said volume-tunable-material comprises depositing a precursor of said volume-tunable-material between said fluid-support-structures.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein locating said fluid-support-structures includes forming said fluid-support-structures on said substrate.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein locating said fluid-support-structures includes forming said fluid-support-structures on a second substrate's surface.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein locating said fluid-support-structures further comprises positioning said substrate and said second substrate such that said surface and said second substrate's surface oppose each other, and forming said volume-tunable-material over said substrate surface comprises depositing a precursor of said volume-tunable-material between said fluid-support-structures.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein locating said fluid-support-structures includes partially embedding said fluid-support-structures, located on a second substrate, into said volume-tunable-material located on said substrate surface.