• Dhar, Manideepa
• Sarkar, Debasmita
• Manna, Uttam
• Ghosh, Dibyendu
• Das, Avijit
• Rahaman, S. K. Asif

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Bio-inspired surfaces with wettability patterns display a unique ability for liquid manipulations. Sacrificing anti-wetting property for confining liquids irrespective of their surface tension (γ<jats:sub>LV</jats:sub>), remains a widely accepted basis for developing wettability patterns. In contrast, we introduce a ‘liquid-specific’ wettability pattern through selectively sacrificing the slippery property against only low γ<jats:sub>LV</jats:sub> (&lt;30 mN m<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>) liquids. This design includes a chemically reactive crystalline network of phase-transitioning polymer, which displays an effortless sliding of both low and high γ<jats:sub>LV</jats:sub> liquids. Upon its strategic chemical modification, droplets of low γ<jats:sub>LV</jats:sub> liquids fail to slide, rather spill arbitrarily on the tilted interface. In contrast, droplets of high γ<jats:sub>LV</jats:sub> liquids continue to slide on the same modified interface. Interestingly, the phase–transition driven rearrangement of crystalline network allows to revert the slippery property against low γ<jats:sub>LV</jats:sub> liquids. Here, we report a ‘rewritable’ and ‘liquid-specific’ wettability pattern for high throughput screening, separating, and remoulding non-aqueous liquids.</jats:p>

Topics

• surface
• polymer
• phase
• reactive