Pneumatic programmable superrepellent surfaces

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

29 Scopus Citations
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Author(s)

  • Songtao Hu
  • Xiaobao Cao
  • Tom Reddyhoff
  • Xijia Ding
  • Xi Shi
  • And 4 others
  • Daniele Dini
  • Andrew J. deMello
  • Zhike Peng
  • Zuankai Wang

Related Research Unit(s)

Detail(s)

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)48-55
Journal / PublicationDroplet
Volume1
Issue number1
Online published25 Jul 2022
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2022

Link(s)

Abstract

Morphological transformation of surface structures is widely manifested in nature and highly preferred for many applications such as wetting interaction; however, in situ tuning of artificial morphologies independent of smart responsive materials remains elusive. Here, with the aid of microfluidics, we develop a pneumatic programmable superrepellent surface by tailoring conventional wetting materials (e.g., polydimethylsiloxane) with embedded flexible chambers connecting a microfluidic system, thus realizing a morphological transformation for enhanced liquid repellency based on a nature-inspired rigid-flexible hybrid principle (i.e., triggering symmetry breaking and oscillator coupling mechanisms). The enhancement degree can be in situ tuned within around 300 ms owing to pneumatically controllable chamber morphologies. We also demonstrate that the surface can be freely programmed to achieve elaborated morphological pathways and gradients for preferred droplet manipulation such as directional rolling and bouncing. Our study highlights the potential of an in situ morphological transformation to realize tunable wettability and provides a programmable level of droplet control by intellectualizing conventional wetting materials. © 2022 The Authors. Droplet published by Jilin University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Research Area(s)

Citation Format(s)

Pneumatic programmable superrepellent surfaces. / Hu, Songtao; Cao, Xiaobao; Reddyhoff, Tom et al.
In: Droplet, Vol. 1, No. 1, 07.2022, p. 48-55.

Research output: Journal Publications and ReviewsRGC 21 - Publication in refereed journalpeer-review

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