摘要或動機

奈米科技是二十世紀末、二十一世紀初新興的科學技術，由於它是在1~100 nm（n = 10-9）的尺度內改造原子及分子排列，創造新物質【1】，將顛覆傳統改造物性，被預言將帶來人類的第四波工業革命，對物理、電子、光電、化工、材料、生醫、機電各領域帶來巨大衝擊。『蓮』是世界上最早的被子植物之一，在一億四千萬年前就生長在地球上，蓮的分布甚廣，從印度、中國、日本、北美到西伯利亞到處都有蓮的蹤跡。蓮的生命力強，很能適應環境，美國加州大學曾試驗培植古代蓮子，經過1300 年的沉睡，古代蓮子仍然正常發芽【2】。台灣的蓮花是十七世紀的移民，自中國帶來種植的。『奈米科技』和『蓮』這兩個不同年代的產物名詞如何連結在一起，他們怎樣相互依存；這正是本文討論的重點，也是了解『奈米科學』很好的例子。本文藉出汙泥而不染，闡述蓮花的自潔（self-cleaning）效應。一般在奈米技術中，簡稱『蓮花效應』【3】，包含清潔機制、成因；使用觀察紀錄自潔狀況情形，幫助對蓮花自潔過程的掌握。期望能對具有蓮花效應的奈米結構提供良好的意見。本研究的結果發現，蓮花效應強的植物，幾乎具有高抗水性。而抗水性是來自奈米結構和表層蠟質，這兩個特質也是蓮葉、芋頭葉等高蓮花效應的植物所具備的，所以我們推論:奈米結構和表層蠟質越發達，抗水性越好，則植物葉面的蓮花效應越強。Nano technology is one of the most advanced technologies now. Since it will alter and rearrange the fundamental structures of atoms and particles within the space of 1~100 nm (n=10-9) the coming industrial revolution depends on it. Nano technology will pose dramatic impact upon a variety of specific fields including physics, electronics, photon electronics, chemical industries and so on. Lotus is one of the most primitive covered-seed plants. It has existed since 140 million years ago and has spread in wide areas. The University of California made lotus seeds that have been frozen for 1300 years sprouted. The Taiwanese lotus seeds were transported from China in the 1600s. The researchers are to probe into the relationship between the nature of lotus and nanotechnology to understand the potential significance of this newly developed technology. The researcher employed the direct observation and tape recording to collect the objective data of the individual growth steps of lotus to analyze the self-cleaning effect of the lotus. In the conclusive part, the application of the Lotus Effect and the creative technology will be discussed and analyzed with the hope to prescribe both a conclusive experimental principles and a further direction for the manufacturing systems related to the developing Lotus Effect. The researchers of the study found that those plants, which have high quality of Lotus Effect, are given the nature of resisting water, which is the consequence of two features namely, the nano-structures and the surface wax. And the leaves of lotus, potato all have these two features. Therefore, it is inferred that the more efficient mechanism of the nano-structure and surface wax and Lotus Effects the plants are, the more effects of the water-resistance function will the plants achieve.