Bioinspired functional SLIPSs and wettability gradient surfaces and their synergistic cooperation and opportunities for enhanced condensate and fluid transport

Adv Colloid Interface Sci. 2021 Nov 21;299:102564. doi: 10.1016/j.cis.2021.102564. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTBioinspired smart functional surfaces have received increasing attention in recent years owed to their tunable wettability and enhanced droplet transport suggesting them as excellent candidates for industrial and nanotechnology-related applications. More specifically, bioinspired slippery lubricant infused porous surfaces (SLIPSs) have been proposed for their low adhesion enabling continuous dropwise condensation (DWC) even of low-surface tension fluids. In addition, functional surfaces with chemical and/or structural wettability gradients have also been exploited empowering spontaneous droplet transport in a controlled manner. Current research has focused on the better understanding of the mechanisms and intimate interactions taking place between liquid droplets and functional surfaces or on the forces imposed by differences in surface wettability and/or by Laplace pressure owed to chemical or structural gradients. Nonetheless, less attention has been paid to the synergistic cooperation of efficiently driving droplet transport via chemical and/or structural patterns/gradients on a low surface energy/adhesion background imposed by SLIPSs, with the consequent promising potential for microfluidics and condensation heat transfer applications amongst others. This review provides a detailed and timely overview and summary on recent advances and developments on bioinspir...
Source: Advances in Colloid and Interface Science - Category: Chemistry Authors: Source Type: research