Abstract
A device for manipulating liquid droplets comprises a structured surface including an array of larger pillars and a number of smaller pillars distributed among the larger pillars, where each of the larger pillars comprises a shape memory polymer having a glass transition temperature Tg. The structured surface has an undeformed initial configuration, and, upon compression of the larger pillars, the structured surface comprises a deformed configuration. The undeformed initial configuration is recoverable from the deformed configuration by heating the shape memory polymer at or above the Tg. When exposed to a liquid droplet, the structured surface comprises a first wettability in the deformed configuration and a second wettability in the undeformed initial configuration. Thus, the structured surface exhibits a dynamic wettability for manipulating liquid droplets.
| Original language | English (US) |
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| U.S. patent number | 10493456 |
| State | Published - Dec 3 2019 |