Lipophobicity, also sometimes called lipophobia (from the Greek λιποφοβία from λίπος ''lipos'' "fat" and φόβος ''phobos'' "fear"), is a chemical property of

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

s which means " fat rejection", literally "fear of fat". Lipophobic compounds are those not soluble in

lipid Lipids are a broad group of organic compounds which include fats, waxes, sterols, fat-soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E and K), monoglycerides, diglycerides, phospholipids, and others. The functions of lipids include storing ...

s or other non-polar

solvent A solvent (from the Latin language, Latin ''wikt:solvo#Latin, solvō'', "loosen, untie, solve") is a substance that dissolves a solute, resulting in a Solution (chemistry), solution. A solvent is usually a liquid but can also be a solid, a gas ...

s. From the other point of view, they do not absorb fats. "Oleophobic" (from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

''oleum'' "oil", Greek ελαιοφοβικό ''eleophobico'' from έλαιο ''eleo'' "oil" and φόβος ''phobos'' "fear") refers to the physical property of a

molecule A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by Force, attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions that satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemi ...

that is seemingly repelled from oil. (Strictly speaking, there is no repulsive force involved; it is an absence of attraction.) The most common lipophobic substance is

water Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...

. Fluorocarbons are also lipophobic/oleophobic in addition to being

hydrophobic In chemistry, hydrophobicity is the chemical property of a molecule (called a hydrophobe) that is seemingly repelled from a mass of water. In contrast, hydrophiles are attracted to water. Hydrophobic molecules tend to be nonpolar and, thu ...

Uses

A lipophobic coating has been used on the

touchscreen A touchscreen (or touch screen) is a type of electronic visual display, display that can detect touch input from a user. It consists of both an input device (a touch panel) and an output device (a visual display). The touch panel is typically l ...

s of

Apple An apple is a round, edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus'' spp.). Fruit trees of the orchard or domestic apple (''Malus domestica''), the most widely grown in the genus, are agriculture, cultivated worldwide. The tree originated ...

iPhone The iPhone is a line of smartphones developed and marketed by Apple that run iOS, the company's own mobile operating system. The first-generation iPhone was announced by then–Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs on January 9, 2007, at ...

s since the 3GS, their iPads,

Nokia Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications industry, telecommunications, technology company, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, originally established as a pulp mill in 1 ...

's N9 and Lumia devices, the HTC HD2, the Blackberry DTEK50,

Hero A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...

, and Flyer and many other phones to repel fingerprint oil, which aids in preventing and cleaning fingerprint marks. Most "oleophobic" coatings used on mobile devices are fluoropolymer-based solids (similar to Teflon, which was used on the HTC Hero) and are both lipophobic and hydrophobic. The oleophobic coating beads up the oils left behind a user's fingers, making it easy to clean without smearing and smudging. This helps decrease the feasibility of a successful smudge attack. In addition to being lipophobic or oleophobic, perfluoropolyether coatings impart exceptional lubricity to touch screens and give them a "slick feel" that eases their use. DIY products exist to restore or add an oleophobic coating to devices lacking one.

References

{{Reflist Chemical properties

Uses

See also

References