Bionic Jaw-Like Micro One-Way Valve for Rapid and Long-Distance Water Droplet Unidirectional Spreading

A surface with asymmetric microstructures for self-drivendirectionalspreading of liquid has attracted keen interest from researchers inrecent years for its great application prospects. Inspired by thejaws of tiny insects, such as ants, a surface textured with noveljaw-like microstructures as micro one-way valves is reported. Thesemicrostructures are almost two-dimensional, thus being simple andeasy to fabricate. Whereas surfaces with such jaw-like micro one-wayvalves exhibit amazing rapid and long-distance water droplet unidirectionalspreading behaviors. The maximum forward-backward distanceratio of water droplets on surfaces with the optimized microstructuresis about 14.5, almost twice those of previous research. The capillaryattraction at the location of the mouth of the jaws and the pinningeffect brought by the sharp edge of the jaws for the precursor filmare analyzed and deduced as the main mechanisms. The findings opena promising avenue for 2D asymmetric microstructure design and effectiveself-driven liquid unidirectional spreading.

Automated summary

Inspired by the jaws of tiny insects, researchers have developed a surface with novel jaw-like microstructures as micro one-way valves, enabling self-driven unidirectional spreading of liquid. These microstructures, which are almost two-dimensional, are simple and easy to fabricate. Surfaces with such micro one-way valves exhibit remarkable rapid and long-distance water droplet spreading behaviors, with a maximum forward-backward distance ratio of about 14.5, nearly double that of previous research. The capillary attraction at the location of the jaws and the pinning effect brought by the sharp edge of the jaws are identified as the main mechanisms.