Liquid Confine-Induced Gradient-Janus Wires for Droplet Self-Propelling Performances in High Efficiency
writer：Lieshuang Zhong, Huan Chen, Lingmei Zhu, Maolin Zhou, Lei Zhang, Shaomin Wang, Xuefeng Han, Yongping
keywords：self-propelling
source：期刊
Issue time：2022年
Constructing surface wetting gradients usually involves complex physical or
chemical methods. Here, a novel Gradient-Janus wire (GJW) can be designed
based on the theory of newly Liquid Confined Modification (LCM). In LCM
theory, reaction difference will be generated by the confinement of reac-
tion solution, which constructs wettability discrepancy on the same curve
surface. Thus a unique continuous Gradient-Janus wetting region can be
constructed in a long range on a 1D wire. It is demonstrated that GJW can
propel water droplets to transport the distance of ≈73 mm in 0.9 s, and liquid
bridge to 85 mm (the longest among this kind of study) in 0.79 s with peak
velocity high up to 237 mm s ?1 (over 20 times faster than droplet transport on
surface of Sarracenia trichome). The mechanism is attributed to cooperation
between imbalanced Laplace pressure and surface tension force to generate
the driving force act on droplet, liquid bridge, or column transport, respec-
tively. LCM directs the large-scale facile fabrication of GJWs within 20 s. A
large-scale GJW array can achieve the high-efficient transport of water droplet
in a wide volume range (few μL to 1 mL), making it potential in fogwater
harvesting.