Chemistry comes to the aid of Hamburg's red light district

Innovative paint and coating technology has come to the aid of Hamburg’s red light district where residents and workers were tired of the mess and smell caused by some of its 20 million visitors each year urinating in the street.

Painting walls with a superhydrophobic coating means that micturators now end up with wet shoes and trousers as their urine is repelled by the wall coating.

The superhydrophobic (water) and oleophobic (hydrocarbons) coating used is Ultra-Ever Dry, which is manufactured by Florida-based company UltraTech International.

Ultra-Ever Dry uses proprietary omniphobic technology to coat an object and create a surface chemistry and texture with patterns of geometric shapes that have peaks or high points. These high points repel water, some oils, wet concrete and other liquids. The superhydrophobic coating keeps objects dry. Water and many other liquids are easily repelled.

So now you know to think twice before you pee on a wall in Hamburg.