Efficient Bubble Transport on Bioinspired Topological Ultraslippery Surfaces

Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) with micro-/nanostructures inspired by the Nepenthes pitcher plant exhibit excellent characteristics in terms of liquid repellency, self-healing, pressure tolerance, and so forth. In particular, stable bubble transport on SLIPS can be achieved when the surface is submerged in water. However, more precise and sophisticated bubble manipulations on SLIPS still remain challenging. In this research, a three-dimensional topological SLIPS combined with a submillimeter rice leaf-like groove array is fabricated to guide the underwater bubble motion precisely. The dynamic behavior and wetting state of bubbles on SLIPS were investigated experimentally. Furthermore, topological SLIPS with different geometric textures were designed and created for sophisticated bubble manipulations, such as fast bubble directional transport and collection. The results indicated that a lubricant with low surface tension and low viscosity could improve the adhesion force to bubbles and the transport velocity of bubbles, simultaneously. The current findings are helpful to deepen the cognition of interaction between bubbles and SLIPS and to promote their wide applications in the field of smart bubble manipulation and catalytic chemistry.

Automated summary

The research team developed a three-dimensional topological SLIPS combined with specific textures to precisely guide underwater bubble motion. Experiments showed that a lubricant with low surface tension and low viscosity could enhance bubble adhesion force and transport velocity.