Wilhelm Barthlott

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Wilhelm Barthlott.

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 developed self-cleaning (Lotus Effect®) technical surfaces and technical surfaces, which permanently retain air under water (Salvinia® Effect). This led to a paradigm shift in particular areas of 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 Environment Award) and memberships in Academies (e. g. the German National Academy of Science Leopodina). A large red-flowering tropical shrub, Barthlottia madagascariensis and other plants are named after him.

Career[]

Wilhelm Barthlott descends from a French Huguenots family, which arrived with Jacques Barthelot in 1698 on the grounds of the Maulbronn monastery in Germany, where his mother’s family houses had existed already before 1520. He studied biology, physics, chemistry, and geography at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He earned his doctorate in 1973 with a dissertation on systematics and biogeography of cacti investigated by means of scanning electron microscopy. He was appointed a professorship at the Free University of Berlin (Freie Universität 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 Gardens. 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 became emeritus in 2011, and continued as the head of the long-run research project “Biodiversität im Wandel” (“Biodiversity in Change”) until 2015, of the Academy of Sciences and Literature of Mainz. He co-founded with Walter Erdelen (UNESCO) the Biodiversity Network in Bonn BION in 2011, which was implemented by Wilhelm Barthlott and his successor Maximilian Weigend in 2013. He is investigating biological and technical superhydrophobic interfaces within the scope of his research projects in biomimetics.

Barthlott published one of the internationally most cited papers in plant science.[1] 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”.[2]

Fields of work[]

Research in biodiversity, classification and biogeography of plants[]

Barthlott has done extensive research focusing on Andean South America and Africa, in particular, on the taxonomy and morphology of cacti, orchids and bromeliads, applying scanning electron microscopy and molecular methods. Barthlott’s studies on carnivorous plants converged systematic and ecological research. These studies led to the discovery of the first protozoan trapping plant in the genus Genlisea. This plants also exhibit one of the highest evolutionary rates and has the smallest known genome among all flowering plants. The naming of pays tribute to his investigation in this regard. The shrub Barthlottia madagascariensis or the miniature Titan Arum and further species were named after him. Among his discoveries are the giant bromeliad Mezobromelia lyman-smithii or epiphytic cacti such as , and Schlumbergera orssichiana. A complete list of plants can be found on the IPNI.

His biogeographic-ecological work was mostly conducted in South America, West Africa and Madagascar concentrating on arid regions,[3] epiphytes in tropical forest canopy,[4] as well as tropical inselbergs.[5] Additional works concentrated on the global mapping of biodiversity and its macroecological dependencies on the climate and other abiotic factors (Geodiversity), including migration and globalization.[6] 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[7] project, which was led by him, the biodiversity patterns in Africa as a model continent were analyzed and potential impacts of climate change are investigated.

Bionics, biomimetics, and biological interfaces[]

Wilhelm Barthlott was the first botanist using high resolution in 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[8]), which were technically realized with the trademark Lotus Effect® from 1998 on,[9] resulting products are distributed worldwide. The patents and the trademark Lotus Effect® 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.[10]

Currently, the research on biological interfaces and bionics is Barthlott’s central area of interest.[11][12][13] 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. Another application is the oil-water-separation by adsorption and transportation of oil on air retaining surfaces.[14]

  • The first detailed world map of biodiversity of plants (first publisherd in Barthlott et al. 1996), shows the global distribution of plants

  • Barthlottia madagascariensis, a large shrub from the foxglove family in Madagascar discovered in 1996

  • The complex hairy surface of the Floating Fern Salvinia , related to the Lotus Effect, led Barthlott in 1994 to the discovery of the physically complex Salvinia effect. It can be technically applied for passive air lubrication in ship hull or for oil-water-separation

  • This honey-spoon was at the Bonn University in 1994 the first technical product to demonstrate the self cleaning effect of superhydrophobic surfaces after the discovery of the Lotus-Effect in 1977

Honors and awards[]

  • 1990 Member of the Academy of Science and Literature in Mainz[15]
  • 1991 “Foreign Member” of the Linnean Society of London.
  • 1997 Member of the Academy of Science of North Rhine-Westphalia Düsseldorf
  • 1997 Karl-Heinz-Beckurts Award
  • 1998 Nomination for the German Future Innovation Award (Deutscher Zukunftspreis des Bundespräsidenten)
  • 1998 Order of Andrès Bello of President Rafael Caldera of the Republic of Venezuela
  • 1999 Member of the German National Academy of Sciences, Leopoldina[16]
  • 1999 Philip Morris Award
  • 1999 German Environment Award (Deutscher Umweltpreis)[17]
  • 2001 Treviranus Medal of the Association of German Biologists (Verband Deutscher Biologen)
  • 2001 GlobArt Award (Austria)
  • 2002 Cactus d’Or (Monaco)
  • 2004 Scientist in Residence of the University Duisburg-Essen
  • 2005 Innovation Award of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research
  • 2006 Award of the university competition “Ingenious Inventors” (Hochschulwettbewerb Patente Erfinder) of North Rhine-Westphalia
  • 2007 Maecenas medal of the University of Bonn
  • 2010 - 2014 Director of the Board of the International Society of Bionic Engineering (ISBE), Beijing (China)

Publications[]

Wilhelm Barthlott’s publications comprise more than 470 titles, among them are numerous books. A complete directory can be found at Wilhelm Barthlott Google Scholar Citations or www.lotus-salvinia.de

Selected works[]

  • Gandyra, Daniel; Walheim, Stefan; Gorb, Stanislav; Ditsche, Petra; Barthlott, Wilhelm; Schimmel, Thomas (October 2020). "Air Retention under Water by the Floating Fern Salvinia : The Crucial Role of a Trapped Air Layer as a Pneumatic Spring". Small. 16 (42): 2003425. doi:10.1002/smll.202003425. PMID 32996250.
  • 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, Viktoria Valeska; Barthlott, Wilhelm; Schreiber, Lukas (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. ISBN 978-3-319-54529-5.
  • Da, Sié Sylvestre; García Márquez, Jaime Ricardo; Sommer, Jan Henning; Thiombiano, Adjima; Zizka, Georg; Dressler, Stefan; Schmidt, Marco; Chatelain, Cyrille; Barthlott, Wilhelm (September 2018). "Plant biodiversity patterns along a climatic gradient and across protected areas in West Africa". African Journal of Ecology. 56 (3): 641–652. doi:10.1111/aje.12517.
  • Barthlott, W. et al. (2017): Plant Surfaces: Structures and Functions for Biomimetic Innovations. – Nano-Micro Letters,9:23, Springer http://rdcu.be/ohK3
  • Biomimetic Research for Architecture and Building Construction. Biologically-Inspired Systems. 8. 2016. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-46374-2. ISBN 978-3-319-46372-8. S2CID 30823702.
  • Barthlott, W. et al. (2016): Pflanzen der Heiligen Bücher Bibel und Koran - النباتات في الكتب السماوية: الإنجيل و القرآن. BfN Skripten No. 448, 106 S.,[Download PDF]
  • Barthlott, W. et al. (2015): Biogeography and Biodiversity of Cacti. - Schumannia 7, pp. 1–205, ISSN 1437-2517 [Download]
  • Barthlott, W. et al. (2014): Orchid seed diversity: A scanning electron microscopy survey. – Englera 32, pp. 1–244.[Download]
  • 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. PMID 21974918.
  • Barthlott, W.; Szarzynski, J.; Vlek, P.; Lobin, W.; Korotkova, N. (July 2009). "A torch in the rain forest: thermogenesis of the Titan arum ( Amorphophallus titanum )". Plant Biology. 11 (4): 499–505. doi:10.1111/j.1438-8677.2008.00147.x. PMID 19538388.
  • Barthlott, W. et al. (2007): The curious world of carnivorous plants. 244 pp., Timber Press
  • Greilhuber, J.; Borsch, T.; Müller, K.; Worberg, A.; Porembski, S.; Barthlott, W. (November 2006). "Smallest Angiosperm Genomes Found in Lentibulariaceae, with Chromosomes of Bacterial Size". Plant Biology. 8 (6): 770–777. doi:10.1055/s-2006-924101. PMID 17203433.
  • Barthlott, W. et al. (2005): Global centres of vascular plant diversity. Nova Acta Leopoldina 92 (342): 61-83
  • Borsch, T.; Hilu, K. W.; Quandt, D.; Wilde, V.; Neinhuis, C.; Barthlott, W. (July 2003). "Noncoding plastid trnT-trnF sequences reveal a well resolved phylogeny of basal angiosperms". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 16 (4): 558–576. doi:10.1046/j.1420-9101.2003.00577.x. PMID 14632220. S2CID 12913775.
  • Barthlott, Wilhelm; Winiger, Matthias; Biedinger, Nadja, eds. (2001). Biodiversity. doi:10.1007/978-3-662-06071-1. ISBN 978-3-642-08370-9.
  • Barthlott, W.; Neinhuis, C. (30 April 1997). "Purity of the sacred lotus, or escape from contamination in biological surfaces". Planta. 202 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1007/s004250050096. S2CID 37872229.
  • Barthlott, W.; Neinhuis, C. (30 April 1997). "Purity of the sacred lotus, or escape from contamination in biological surfaces". Planta. 202 (1): 1–8. doi:10.1007/s004250050096. S2CID 37872229.
  • Wagner, Thomas; Neinhuis, Christoph; Barthlott, Wilhelm (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.
  • Burr, B. et al. (1995): Untersuchungen zur Ultraviolettreflexion von Angiospermenblüten. III. Dilleniidae und Asteridae. 186 pp , Akad. Wiss. Lit. Mainz. F. Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart,.[Download PDF]
  • 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. INIST:5594526.
  • Barthlott, W. & E. Wollenweber (1981): Zur Feinstruktur, Chemie und taxonomischen Signifikanz epicuticularer Wachse und ähnlicher Sekrete. 67 S., Akad. Wiss. Lit. Mainz. F. Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart,[Download PDF]
  • Barthlott, W. (1979): Cacti. 249 S., Stanley Thornes Publishers, London
  • Barthlott, W. & N. Ehler (1977): Raster-Elektronenmikroskopie der Epidermis-Oberflächen von Spermatophyten. 105 pp ., Akad. Wiss. Lit. Mainz. F. Steiner Verlag, Stuttgart,[Download PDF]

References[]

  1. ^ White, P. J, (2018): Citation classics in Plant Science since 1992. - Botany One / Annals of Botany 23rd Jan. 2018: https://www.botany.one/2018/01/citation-classics-plant-sciences-since-1992/
  2. ^ Yu, Cunming; Sasic, Srdjan; Liu, Kai; Salameh, Samir; Ras, Robin H.A.; van Ommen, J. Ruud (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.
  3. ^ Barthlott, W. et al. (2015): Biogeography and Biodiversity of Cacti. - Schumannia 7, pp. 1-205, ISSN 1437-2517
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Inselbergs. Ecological Studies. 146. 2000. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-59773-2. ISBN 978-3-642-64120-6.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ Eintrag auf der Seite des BMBF-BIOTA AFRIKA-Projektes
  8. ^ Baeyer, H, C, von, (2000); The Lotus Effect. - The Sciences: J. New York Academy of Sciences 12-15, January 2000
  9. ^ Forbes, P. (2006) The Gecko´s Foot. – Fourth Estate, HarperCollins, New York, 272 pp.
  10. ^ Geyer, Florian; D’Acunzi, Maria; Sharifi-Aghili, Azadeh; Saal, Alexander; Gao, Nan; Kaltbeitzel, Anke; Sloot, Tim-Frederik; Berger, Rüdiger; Butt, Hans-Jürgen; Vollmer, Doris (2020). "When and how self-cleaning of superhydrophobic surfaces works". Science Advances. 6 (3): eaaw9727. Bibcode:2020SciA....6.9727G. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aaw9727. PMC 6968945. PMID 32010764.
  11. ^ Barthlott, W.; Mail, M.; Neinhuis, C. (6 August 2016). "Superhydrophobic hierarchically structured surfaces in biology: evolution, structural principles and biomimetic applications". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 374 (2073): 20160191. Bibcode:2016RSPTA.37460191B. doi:10.1098/rsta.2016.0191. PMC 4928508. PMID 27354736.
  12. ^ Biomimetic Research for Architecture and Building Construction. Biologically-Inspired Systems. 8. 2016. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-46374-2. ISBN 978-3-319-46372-8. S2CID 30823702.
  13. ^ Barthlott, Wilhelm; Mail, Matthias; Bhushan, Bharat; Koch, Kerstin (April 2017). "Plant Surfaces: Structures and Functions for Biomimetic Innovations". Nano-Micro Letters. 9 (2): 23. Bibcode:2017NML.....9...23B. doi:10.1007/s40820-016-0125-1. PMC 6223843. PMID 30464998.
  14. ^ Barthlott, W.; Moosmann, M.; Noll, I.; Akdere, M.; Wagner, J.; Roling, N.; Koepchen-Thomä, L.; Azad, M. A. K.; Klopp, K.; Gries, T.; Mail, M. (20 March 2020). "Adsorption and superficial transport of oil on biological and bionic superhydrophobic surfaces: a novel technique for oil–water separation". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. 378 (2167): 20190447. Bibcode:2020RSPTA.37890447B. doi:10.1098/rsta.2019.0447. PMC 7015282. PMID 32008452.
  15. ^ Mitgliedereintrag auf der Website der Akademie der Wissenschaft und Literatur Mainz
  16. ^ Mitgliedseintrag von Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Barthlott (mit Bild und CV) bei der Deutschen Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina, abgerufen am 29. Juni 2016.
  17. ^ Eintrag im Preisträger-Archiv der DBU

Supporting documentation[]

External links[]

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