Wilhelm Barthlott (born 1946 in Forst, Germany) is a German botanist and biomimetic materials scientist. His official botanical author citation is Barthlott.
Barthlott's areas of specialization are biodiversity (global distribution, assessment, and change in biodiversity) and bionics/biomimetics (in particular, superhydrophobic biological surfaces and their technical applications).
He is one of the pioneers in the field of biological and technical interfaces. Based on his systematic research on plant surfaces, he discovered the self-cleaning (lotus effect)[1] biological surfaces and developed superhydrophobic technical surfaces for different applications (e.g. Salvinia effect and oil-water-separation). The Bartlott Effects[2] led to a paradigm shift and disruptive technologies in material science and facilitated the development of superhydrophobic biomimetic surfaces. His map of the global biodiversity distribution is the foundation for numerous research topics. Barthlott has been honored with many awards (e. g. the German Environmental Prize) and memberships in academies (e. g. the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina). A large red-flowering tropical shrub, Barthlottia madagascariensis, and other plants are named after him.
Career
Barthlott descends from a French Huguenot family, which arrived with Jacques Barthelot in 1698 on the territory of the Maulbronn Monastery in Germany, where his mother's family houses had existed before 1500. Wilhelm Barthlott studied biology, physics, chemistry, and geography at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He earned his doctorate in 1973 with a dissertation supervised by Werner Rauh on systematics and biogeography of cacti investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy. He held a professorship at the Free University of Berlin at the Institute for Systematic Botany and Plant Geography from 1982 to 1985. In 1985 he became the chair of systematic botany at the Botanical Institute of the University of Bonn and also the director of the Botanical Garden. In 2003 he established the Nees Institute for Biodiversity of Plants as founding director. He was influential in the reorganization and expansion of both institutions.
Barthlott took emeritus status in 2011, and continued as the head of a long-running research project Biodiversität im Wandel (Biodiversity in Change). He is investigating biological and technical superhydrophobic interfaces within the scope of his research projects in biomimetics.
Barthlott published one of the most cited papers plant science[3] and materials science.[4] His work in materials science based on superhydrophobic lotus effect surfaces "can be considered the most famous inspiration from nature ... and has been widely applied ... in our daily life and industrial productions".[5]
His biogeographic-ecological work was mostly conducted in South America, West Africa and Madagascar concentrating on arid regions,[9] epiphytes in tropical forest canopy,[10] as well as tropical inselbergs.[11] Additional works concentrated on the global mapping of biodiversity[12] and its macroecological dependencies on climate change[13] and other abiotic factors (Geodiversity),[14] including migration and globalization.[15] His Biodiversity Distribution Map has been published in numerous textbooks and has been the foundation for many postgraduate studies. In the framework of the BMBF-BIOTA-AFRICA[16] project, which was co-founded by him, the biodiversity patterns in Africa as a model continent were analyzed and potential impacts of climate change are investigated.
Bionics, biomimetics and materials science
Barthlott was the first botanist using high resolution scanning electron microscopy systematically in the research of biological surfaces since 1970. Most prominent among his results was the discovery of the self-cleaning effect of superhydrophobic micro- and nanostructured surfaces,[17][18][19] which were technically realized with the trademark "Lotus Effect" from 1998 on,[20] and resulting products distributed worldwide.[21][22] The patents and the trademark Lotus Effect[23] are owned by the company Sto-AG. Today about 2000 publications per year are based on his discovery, while the physics behind self-cleaning surfaces is still not completely understood.[24]
Currently, the research on biological interfaces and bionics is Barthlott's central area of interest.[25][26][27] He provided the first evidence that superhydrophobicity evolved probably as a "key innovation" for the land transition of life already in Precambrian cyanobacteria a billion years ago.[28] Ongoing research areas include air-retaining surfaces on the model of the floating fern Salvinia, which is based on a complex physical principle (Salvinia effect). Technical application of this effect is conceivable in shipping: By means of a reduction in frictional resistance ("passive air lubrication"), a 10% decrease in fuel consumption could potentially be achieved.[29] Another application is the oil-water-separation by adsorption and transportation of oil on air retaining surfaces.[30][31] Barthlott very early warned that the addition of surfactants within the global application of pesticides in agriculture disrupts the pathogen defense of crops and should be reduced[32]
The first detailed world map of biodiversity of plants 1996 shows the global distribution of plants
The complex hairy surface of the floating fern Salvinia, led to the discovery of the physically complex Salvinia effect related to the lotus effect. It can be technically applied for passive air lubrication in ship hull or for oil-water-separation
This honey-spoon, at the Bonn University in 1994, was the first technical product to demonstrate the self-cleaning effect of superhydrophobic surfaces after the discovery of the lotus-effect in 1977
Hassallia byssoidea (biofilm and attached to the water droplet) is a terrestrial cyanobacterium forming extreme water-repellent biofilms on rocks. It uses the lotus effect for dispersal. Superhydrophobicity probably already evolved a billion years ago and may have played a crucial role in the land transition of life[33]
Beek, L., Barthlott, W. et al, (2023): Self-driven sustainable oil separation from water surfaces by biomimetic adsorbing and transporting textiles - Separations 10, 2023 - https://www.mdpi.com/2297-8739/10/12/592/pdf
Barthlott, W., (2022): "Superhydrophobic terrestrial Cyanobacteria and land plant transition". Frontiers of Plant Science. doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.880439
Barthlott, W. (2020): Plants and nature in Bible and Quran - how respect for nature connects us. - pp. 233–244 in Proceed. Conf. "Science and Actions for Species Protection: Noah's Arks for the 21st Century, May 2019, Eds. J.von Braun et al. – The Pontifical Academy of Sciences PAS, Vatican City
Zeisler-Diehl, V. Valeska; Barthlott, W.; Schreiber, L. (2018). "Plant Cuticular Waxes: Composition, Function, and Interactions with Microorganisms". Hydrocarbons, Oils and Lipids: Diversity, Origin, Chemistry and Fate. pp. 1–16. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-54529-5_7-1. ISBN978-3-319-54529-5. S2CID92348167.
Da, Sié et al. (September 2018)."Plant biodiversity patterns along a climatic gradient and across protected areas in West Africa". African Journal of Ecology. 56 (3): 641–652. Bibcode:2018AfJEc..56..641D. doi:10.1111/aje.12517
Barthlott, W. et al: Bionics and Biodiversity – Bio-inspired Technical Innovation for a Sustainable Future, in: “Biomimetic Research for Architecture and Building Construction: Biological Design and Integrative Structures” (Eds.: Knippers, J. / Nickel, K. / Speck, T.), Springer Publishers. http://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319463728
Barthlott, W. et al. (2015): Biogeography and Biodiversity of Cacti. - Schumannia 7, pp. 1–205, ISSN 1437-2517
Barthlott, W. et al. (2014): Orchid seed diversity: A scanning electron microscopy survey. – Englera 32, pp. 1–244.
Yan, Y.Y.; Gao, N.; Barthlott, W. (December 2011). "Mimicking natural superhydrophobic surfaces and grasping the wetting process: A review on recent progress in preparing superhydrophobic surfaces". Advances in Colloid and Interface Science. 169 (2): 80–105. doi:10.1016/j.cis.2011.08.005. PMID21974918.
Wagner, T.; Neinhuis, C.; Barthlott, W. (July 1996). "Wettability and Contaminability of Insect Wings as a Function of Their Surface Sculptures". Acta Zoologica. 77 (3): 213–225. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6395.1996.tb01265.x. S2CID84502320.
Burr, B. et al. (1995): Untersuchungen zur Ultraviolettreflexion von Angiospermenblüten. III. Dilleniidae und Asteridae. 186 pp, Akad. Wiss. Lit. Mainz. F. Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart. (PDF) (researchgate.net)
Noga, G; Wolter, M.; Barthlott, W.; Petry, W. (1991). "Quantitative evaluation of epicuticular wax alterations as induced by surfactant treatment". Quantitative Evaluation of Epicuticular Wax Alterations as Induced by Surfactant Treatment. 65 (3–4): 239–252. INIST5594526.
Barthlott, W., Wollenweber, E. (1981): Zur Feinstruktur, Chemie und taxonomischen Signifikanz epicuticularer Wachse und ähnlicher Sekrete. 67 S., Akad. Wiss. Lit. Mainz. F. Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart. (PDF) (researchgate.net)
Barthlott, W. (1979): Cacti. 249 S., Stanley Thornes Publishers, London.
^Barthlott et al. (2009): A torch in the rainforest: thermogenesis of the Titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum). Plant Biol. 11 (4): 499–505 doi:10.1111/j.1438-8677.2008.00147.x
^Greilhuber, J. et al. (2006): Smallest angiosperm genomes found in Lentibulariaceae, with chromosomes of bacterial size. Plant Biol. 8: 770–777, doi:10.1055/s-2006-924101
^Barthlott, W. et al. (2015): Biogeography and Biodiversity of Cacti. – Schumannia 7, pp. 1–205, ISSN 1437-2517
^Köster, Nils; Nieder, Jürgen; Barthlott, Wilhelm (November 2011). "Effect of Host Tree Traits on Epiphyte Diversity in Natural and Anthropogenic Habitats in Ecuador: Effect of Host Tree Traits on Epiphyte Diversity". Biotropica. 43 (6): 685–694. doi:10.1111/j.1744-7429.2011.00759.x. S2CID86711152.
^Kier, G.; Kreft, H.; Lee, T. M.; Jetz, W.; Ibisch, P. L.; Nowicki, C.; Mutke, J.; Barthlott, W. (9 June 2009). "A global assessment of endemism and species richness across island and mainland regions". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106 (23): 9322–9327. PNAS..106.9322K. doi:10.1073/pnas.0810306106. PMC 2685248. PMID 19470638
^Sommer, Kreft, Kier; Jetz; Mutke; Barthlott (7 August 2010). "Projected impacts of climate change on regional capacities for global plant species richness". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 277 (1692): 2271–2280. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.0120. PMC 2894901. PMID 20335215
^Barthlott et al. (1996): Global distribution of species diversity in vascular plants: towards a world map of phytodiversity. Erdkunde 50: 317–327, doi:10.3112/erdkunde.1996.04.03
^Barthlott, W. & Rafiqpoor, M.D. (2016): Biodiversität im Wandel – Globale Muster der Artenvielfalt. In: Lozán et al.: Warnsignal Klima: Die Biodiversität, pp. 44–50. In Kooperation mit GEO- Verlag. Wissenschaftliche Auswertungen. www.warnsignal-klima.de.
^"BIOTA AFRICA". www.biota-africa.org. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
^Baeyer, H, C, von, (2000); The Lotus Effect. – The Sciences: J. New York Academy of Sciences 12–15, January 2000.
^Wilhelm Barthlott (2023): The Discovery of the Lotus Effect as a Key Innovation for Biomimetic Technologies. - in: Handbook of Self-Cleaning Surfaces and Materials: From Fundamentals to Applications, Chapter 15, S. 359–369 - Wiley-VCH, doi:10.1002/9783527690688.ch15
^Yu, Cunming et al. (March 2020). "Nature–Inspired self–cleaning surfaces: Mechanisms, modelling, and manufacturing". Chemical Engineering Research and Design. 155: 48–65. doi:10.1016/j.cherd.2019.11.038, S2CID 212755274
^Busch, J.; Barthlott, W.; Brede, M.; Terlau, W.; Mail, M. (11 February 2019). "Bionics and green technology in maritime shipping: an assessment of the effect of Salvinia air-layer hull coatings for drag and fuel reduction". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 377 (2138): 20180263
^Beek, L., Barthlott, W. et al, (2023): Self-driven sustainable oil separation from water surfaces by biomimetic adsorbing and transporting textiles - Separations 10, 2023. - https://www.mdpi.com/2297-8739/10/12/592/pdf)
^Noga et al. (1991): Quantitative evaluation of epicuticular wax alterations as induced by surfactant treatment. Angew. Bot. 65: S. 239–252
^Barthlott et al. (2022): Superhydrophobic terrestrial Cyanobacteria and land plant transition – Front. Plant. Sci, doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.880439