Trifurcated Splitting of Water Droplets on Engineered Lithium Niobate Surfaces.

ABSTRACT: Controlled splitting of liquid droplets is a key function in many microfluidic applications. In recent years, various methodologies have been used to accomplish this task. Here, we present an optofluidic technique based on an engineered surface formed by coating a z-cut iron-doped lithium niobate crystal with a lubricant-infused layer, which provides a very slippery surface. Illuminating the crystal with a light spot induces surface charges of opposite signs on the two crystal faces because of the photovoltaic effect. If the light spot is sufficiently intense, millimetric water droplets placed near the illuminated spot split into two charged fragments, one fragment being trapped by the bright spot and the other moving away from it. The latter fragment does not move randomly but rath

SUBMITTER: Cremaschini S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10811617 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature