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Title: Mobile Interfaces: Liquids as a Perfect Structural Material for Multifunctional, Antifouling Surfaces

Journal Article · · Chemistry of Materials
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/cm402364d· OSTI ID:1211120

Life creates some of its most robust, extreme surface materials not from solids but from liquids: a purely liquid interface, stabilized by underlying nanotexture, makes carnivorous plant leaves ultraslippery, the eye optically perfect and dirt-resistant, our knees lubricated and pressure-tolerant, and insect feet reversibly adhesive and shape-adaptive. Novel liquid surfaces based on this idea have recently been shown to display unprecedented omniphobic, self-healing, anti-ice, antifouling, optical, and adaptive properties. In this Perspective, we present a framework and a path forward for developing and designing such liquid surfaces into sophisticated, versatile multifunctional materials. Drawing on concepts from solid materials design and fluid dynamics, we outline how the continuous dynamics, responsiveness, and multiscale patternability of a liquid surface layer can be harnessed to create a wide range of unique, active interfacial functions able to operate in harsh, changing environments not achievable with static solids. We discuss how, in partnership with the underlying substrate, the liquid surface can be programmed to adaptively and reversibly reconfigure from a defect-free, molecularly smooth, transparent interface through a range of finely tuned liquid topographies in response to environmental stimuli. With nearly unlimited design possibilities and unmatched interfacial properties, liquid materials as long-term stable interfaces yet in their fully liquid state may potentially transform surface design everywhere from medicine to architecture to energy infrastructure.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E)
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AR0000326
OSTI ID:
1211120
Journal Information:
Chemistry of Materials, Vol. 26, Issue 1; ISSN 0897-4756
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (26)

Adsorption of “soft” spherical particles onto sinusoidally-corrugated substrates journal January 2014
Recent Advances in Bioinspired Gel Surfaces with Superwettability and Special Adhesion journal July 2019
Self-Healing Functional Surfaces journal July 2018
Oleoplaning droplets on lubricated surfaces journal June 2017
Interfacial instability of liquid films coating the walls of a parallel-plate channel and sheared by a gas flow journal August 2018
Formation of Liquid-Liquid Micropatterns through Guided Liquid Displacement on Liquid-Infused Surfaces journal August 2018
Adsorption of size-polydisperse particles on sinusoidally corrugated surfaces journal December 2017
The increasing dynamic, functional complexity of bio-interface materials journal March 2018
Formation of Liquid-Liquid Micropatterns through Guided Liquid Displacement on Liquid-Infused Surfaces text January 2018
Amphiphobic Nanostructured Coatings for Industrial Applications journal March 2019
UV-driven self-replenishing slippery surfaces with programmable droplet-guiding pathways journal January 2020
Lubricant-Infused Anisotropic Porous Surface Design of Reduced Graphene Oxide Toward Electrically Driven Smart Control of Conductive Droplets' Motion journal April 2017
Slippery Surface Based on Photoelectric Responsive Nanoporous Composites with Optimal Wettability Region for Droplets' Multifunctional Manipulation journal November 2018
Tunable Microscale Porous Systems with Dynamic Liquid Interfaces journal February 2018
Antifouling digital microfluidics using lubricant infused porous film journal January 2019
Fundamentals of icing and common strategies for designing biomimetic anti-icing surfaces journal January 2018
Bio-Inspired Extreme Wetting Surfaces for Biomedical Applications journal February 2016
Antifouling and Fouling-Release Performance of Photo-Embossed Fluorogel Elastomers journal November 2019
Inner Surface Design of Functional Microchannels for Microscale Flow Control journal October 2019
A robust superhydrophobic PDMS@ZnSn(OH) 6 coating with under-oil self-cleaning and flame retardancy journal January 2017
Robust self-cleaning surfaces that function when exposed to either air or oil journal March 2015
Interfacial instability of liquid films coating the walls of a parallel-plate channel and sheared by a gas flow preprint January 2016
Oleoplaning droplets on lubricated surfaces text January 2017
Could petroleum work as lubricant oil on slippery lubricated surfaces to prevent inorganic scaling? journal February 2020
Interfacial Phenomena on the Inorganic Scaling Prevention journal January 2019
Emerging Anti-Fouling Methods: Towards Reusability of 3D-Printed Devices for Biomedical Applications journal April 2018

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