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Sun S, Zhang Y, Wu S, Wang L. In Situ Multi-Directional Liquid Manipulation Enabled by 3D Asymmetric Fang-Structured Surface. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2024:e2407034. [PMID: 39054932 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202407034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Decorating surfaces with wetting gradients or topological structures is a prevailing strategy to control uni-directional spreading without energy input. However, current methods, limited by fixed design, cannot achieve multi-directional control of liquids, posing challenges to practical applications. Here, a structured surface composed of arrayed three-dimensional asymmetric fang-structured units is reported that enable in situ control of customized multi-directional spreading for different surface tension liquids, exhibiting five novel modes. This is attributed to bottom-up distributed multi-curvature features of surface units, which create varied Laplace pressure gradients to guide the spreading of different-wettability liquids along specific directions. The surface's capability to respond to liquid properties for multimodal control leads to innovative functions that are absent in conventional structured surfaces. Selective multi-path circuits can be constructed by taking advantage of rich liquid behaviors with the surface; surface tensions of wetting liquids can be portably indicated with a resolution scope of 0.3-3.4 mN m-1 using the surface; temperature-mediated change of liquid properties is utilized to smartly manipulate liquid behavior and achieve the spatiotemporal-controllable targeted cooling of the surface at its heated state. These novel applications open new avenues for developing advanced surfaces for liquid manipulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siqi Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Yiyuan Zhang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Shuangmei Wu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
| | - Liqiu Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, 999077, China
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2
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Feng H, Shen S, Jin M, Zhang Q, Liu M, Wu Z, Chen J, Yi Z, Zhou G, Shui L. Microwell Confined Electro-Coalescence for Rapid Formation of High-Throughput Droplet Array. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2023; 19:e2302998. [PMID: 37449335 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202302998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Droplet array is widely applied in single cell analysis, drug screening, protein crystallization, etc. This work proposes and validates a method for rapid formation of uniform droplet array based on microwell confined droplets electro-coalescence of screen-printed emulsion droplets, namely electro-coalescence droplet array (ECDA). The electro-coalescence of droplets is according to the polarization induced electrostatic and dielectrophoretic forces, and the dielectrowetting effect. The photolithographically fabricated microwells are highly regular and reproducible, ensuring identical volume and physical confinement to achieve uniform droplet array, and meanwhile the microwell isolation protects the paired water droplets from further fusion and broadens its feasibility to different fluidic systems. Under optimized conditions, a droplet array with an average diameter of 85 µm and a throughput of 106 in a 10 cm × 10 cm chip can be achieved within 5 s at 120 Vpp and 50 kHz. This ECDA chip is validated for various microwell geometries and functional materials. The optimized ECDA are successfully applied for digital viable bacteria counting, showing comparable results to the plate culture counting. Such an ECDA chip, as a digitizable and high-throughput platform, presents excellent potential for high-throughput screening, analysis, absolute quantification, etc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoqiang Feng
- International Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and System, National Centre for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics & School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Shitao Shen
- International Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and System, National Centre for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics & School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Mingliang Jin
- International Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and System, National Centre for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics & School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Qilin Zhang
- International Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and System, National Centre for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics & School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Mengjun Liu
- International Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and System, National Centre for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics & School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Zihao Wu
- International Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and System, National Centre for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics & School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Jiamei Chen
- International Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and System, National Centre for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics & School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Shenzhen Bao'an District Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital, Shenzhen, 518133, P. R. China
| | - Zichuan Yi
- College of Electron and Information, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Zhongshan Institute, Zhongshan, 528402, P. R. China
| | - Guofu Zhou
- International Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and System, National Centre for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics & School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
| | - Lingling Shui
- International Joint Laboratory of Optofluidic Technology and System, National Centre for International Research on Green Optoelectronics, South China Academy of Advanced Optoelectronics & School of Information and Optoelectronic Science and Engineering, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Nanophotonic Functional Materials and Devices, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510006, P. R. China
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3
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Tang C, Zhu Y, Bai H, Li G, Liu J, Wu W, Yang Y, Xuan S, Yin H, Chen Z, Lai L, Song Y, Cao M, Qiu B. Spontaneous Separation of Immiscible Organic Droplets on Asymmetric Wedge Channels with Hierarchical Microchannels. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:49762-49773. [PMID: 37843979 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c10211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Spontaneous separation of immiscible organic droplets has substantial research implications for environmental protection and resource regeneration. Compared to the widely explored separation of oil-water mixtures, there are fewer reports on separating mixed organic droplets on open surfaces due to the low surface tension differences. Efficient separation of mixed organic liquids by exploiting the rapid spontaneous transport of droplets on open surfaces remains a challenge. Here, through the fusion of inspiration from the fast droplet transport capability of Sarracenia trichome and the asymmetric wedge channel structure of shorebird beaks, this work proposes a spine with hierarchical microchannels and wedge channels (SHMW). Due to the synergistic effect of capillary force and asymmetric Laplace force, the SHMW can rapidly separate mixed organic droplets into two pure phases without requiring additional energy. In particular, the self-spreading of the oil solution on the open channel surface is utilized to amplify the surface energy difference between two droplets, and SHMW achieves the pickup of oil droplets floating on the surface of the organic solution. The maximum separation efficiency on 3-SHMW can reach 99.63%, and it can also realize the antigravity separation of mixed organic droplets with a surface tension difference as low as 0.87 mN·m-1. Furthermore, SHMW performs controllable separation, oil droplet pickup, and continuous separation and collection of mixed organic droplets. It is expected that this cooperative structure composed of hierarchical microchannels and wedge channels will be realized in resource recovery or chemical reactions in industrial production processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengning Tang
- School of Manufacture Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Testing Technology for Manufacturing Process, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, P. R. China
| | - Yuying Zhu
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, P. R. China
| | - Haoyu Bai
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Guoqiang Li
- School of Manufacture Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Testing Technology for Manufacturing Process, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, P. R. China
| | - Jiasong Liu
- School of Manufacture Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Testing Technology for Manufacturing Process, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, P. R. China
| | - Weiming Wu
- School of Manufacture Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Testing Technology for Manufacturing Process, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, P. R. China
| | - Yi Yang
- School of Manufacture Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Testing Technology for Manufacturing Process, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, P. R. China
| | - Sensen Xuan
- School of Manufacture Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Testing Technology for Manufacturing Process, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, P. R. China
| | - Huan Yin
- School of Manufacture Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Testing Technology for Manufacturing Process, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, P. R. China
| | - Zuqiao Chen
- School of Manufacture Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Testing Technology for Manufacturing Process, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, P. R. China
| | - Lin Lai
- School of Manufacture Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Testing Technology for Manufacturing Process, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, P. R. China
| | - Yuegan Song
- School of Manufacture Science and Engineering, Key Laboratory of Testing Technology for Manufacturing Process, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, P. R. China
| | - Moyuan Cao
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, Smart Sensing Interdisciplinary Science Center, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
| | - Bensheng Qiu
- Center for Biomedical Imaging, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, Anhui, P. R. China
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Song Y, Yang J, Zhang X, Zhang Z, Hu X, Cheng G, Liu Y, Lv G, Ding J. Temperature-responsive peristome-structured smart surface for the unidirectional controllable motion of large droplets. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:119. [PMID: 37780811 PMCID: PMC10539527 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00573-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
The manipulation of fast, unidirectional motion for large droplets shows important applications in the fields of fog collection and biochemical reactions. However, driving large droplets (>5 μL) to move directionally and quickly remains challenging due to the nonnegligible volume force. Herein, we fabricated a scalable, bionic peristome substrate with a microcavity width of 180 μm using a 3D printing method, which could unidirectionally drive a large water droplet (~8 μL) at a speed reaching 12.5 mm/s by temperature-responsive wettability. The substrate surface was grafted with PNIPAAm, which could reversibly change its wettability in response to temperature, thereby enabling a temperature-responsive smart surface that could regulate droplet movement in real-time by changing the temperature. A series of temperature-responsive smart patterns were designed to induce water transport along specific paths to further realize controllable droplet motion with the antibacterial treatment of predesignated areas. The ability to achieve temperature-responsive unidirectional motion and dynamic control of droplet movement could allow programmable fluidic biosensors and precision medical devices. A temperature-responsive smart surface was produced to control the unidirectional motion of large droplets between spreading and pinning movement by changing the surface wettability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun Song
- Institute of Intelligent Flexible Mechatronics, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 P. R. China
| | - Jialei Yang
- Institute of Intelligent Flexible Mechatronics, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 P. R. China
| | - Xu Zhang
- Institute of Intelligent Flexible Mechatronics, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 P. R. China
| | - Zhongqiang Zhang
- Institute of Intelligent Flexible Mechatronics, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Structural Analysis for Industrial Equipment, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Faculty of Vehicle Engineering and Mechanics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024 P. R. China
| | - Xinghao Hu
- Institute of Intelligent Flexible Mechatronics, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 P. R. China
| | - Guanggui Cheng
- Institute of Intelligent Flexible Mechatronics, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 P. R. China
| | - Yan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bionic Engineering (Ministry of Education), Jilin University, Changchun, 130022 P. R. China
| | - Guojun Lv
- School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, 212003 P. R. China
| | - Jianning Ding
- Institute of Intelligent Flexible Mechatronics, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013 P. R. China
- School of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225127 Jiangsu P. R. China
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Liu Y, Xia Y, Zhan H, Lu C, Yuan Z, Zhao L. An electrothermal platform for active droplet manipulation. RSC Adv 2023; 13:14041-14047. [PMID: 37181519 PMCID: PMC10167797 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra01108a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The smart control of droplet transport through surface structures and external fields provides exciting opportunities in engineering fields of phase change heat transfer, biomedical chips, and energy harvesting. Here we report the wedge-shaped slippery lubricant-infused porous surface (WS-SLIPS) as an electrothermal platform for active droplet manipulation. WS-SLIPS is fabricated by infusing a wedge-shaped superhydrophobic aluminum plate with phase-changeable paraffin. While the surface wettability of WS-SLIPS can be readily and reversibly switched by the freezing-melting cycle of paraffin, the curvature gradient of the wedge-shaped substrate automatically induces an uneven Laplace pressure inside the droplet, endowing WS-SLIPS the ability to directionally transport droplets without any extra energy input. We demonstrate that WS-SLIPS features spontaneous and controllable droplet transport capability to initiate, brake, lock, and resume the directional motion of various liquid droplets including water, saturated NaCl solution, ethanol solution, and glycerol, under the control of preset DC voltage (∼12 V). In addition, the WS-SLIPS can automatically repair surface scratches or indents when heated and retain the full liquid-manipulating capability afterward. The versatile and robust droplet manipulation platform of WS-SLIPS can be further used in practical scenarios such as laboratory-on-a-chip settings, chemical analysis and microfluidic reactors, paving a new path to develop advanced interface for multifunctional droplet transport.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahua Liu
- State Key Laboratory of High-performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology Dalian 116024 China
- Key Laboratory of Icing and Anti/De-icing, China Aerodynamics Research and Development Center Mianyang Sichuan 621000 China
| | - Yuhang Xia
- State Key Laboratory of High-performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology Dalian 116024 China
| | - Haiyang Zhan
- State Key Laboratory of High-performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology Dalian 116024 China
| | - Chenguang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of High-performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology Dalian 116024 China
| | - Zichao Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of High-performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology Dalian 116024 China
| | - Lei Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of High-performance Precision Manufacturing, Dalian University of Technology Dalian 116024 China
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6
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Du L, Li Y, Zhang X, Zhou Z, Wang Y, Jing D, Zhou J. One-Step Fabrication of Droplet Arrays Using a Biomimetic Structural Chip. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2023; 15:17413-17420. [PMID: 36972187 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c01654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
In the field of one-step efficient preparation of dewetting droplet arrays, the process is hampered by the requirement for low chemical wettability of solid surfaces, which restricts the complete transition of wetting state and its broad prospects in biological applications. Inspired by the physical structure of the lotus leaf, enabling it to promote the change of the infiltration state of an aqueous solution on the surface, we developed a method of one-step fabrication of droplet arrays on the biomimetic structural chip designed in the present work. This greatly reduces the need for chemical modification techniques to achieve low wettability and reduces the reliance on complex and sophisticated surface preparation techniques, thus improving the fabrication efficiency of droplet arrays fully generated on a chip by one-step operation without the need for extra liquid phase or the control of harsh barometric pressure. We also studied the influence of dimensions of the biomimetic structure and the preparation process parameters such as number of smears and speed of smearing on the preparation rate and uniformity of the droplet arrays. The amplification of templating DNA molecules in the droplet arrays prepared in a one-step fabrication way is also performed to verify its application potential for DNA molecular diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Du
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Yuxin Li
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Xinlian Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Zijian Zhou
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Yan Wang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Dalei Jing
- School of Mechanical Engineering, University of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai 200093, China
| | - Jia Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of ASIC and System, School of Microelectronics, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
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Zhou S, Jiang L, Dong Z. Overflow Control for Sustainable Development by Superwetting Surface with Biomimetic Structure. Chem Rev 2023; 123:2276-2310. [PMID: 35522923 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.1c00976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Liquid flowing around a solid edge, i.e., overflow, is a commonly observed flow behavior. Recent research into surface wetting properties and microstructure-controlled overflow behavior has attracted much attention. Achieving controllable macroscale liquid dynamics by manipulating the micro-nanoscale liquid overflow has stimulated diverse scientific interest and fostered widespread use in practical applications. In this review, we outline the evolution of overflow and present a critical survey of the mechanism of surface wetting properties and microstructure-controlled liquid overflow in multilength scales ranging from centimeter to micro and even nanoscale. We summarize the latest progress in utilizing the mechanisms to manipulate liquid overflow and achieve macroscale liquid dynamics and in emerging applications to manipulate overflow for sustainable development in various fields, along with challenges and perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Lei Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Zhichao Dong
- CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P. R. China.,School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
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Qing LS, Wang TT, Luo HY, Du JL, Wang RY, Luo P. Microfluidic strategies for natural products in drug discovery: Current status and future perspectives. Trends Analyt Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.trac.2022.116832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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