Mechanically Switchable Wetting Petal Effect in Self-Patterned Nanocolumnar Films on Poly(dimethylsiloxane).

ABSTRACT: Switchable mechanically induced changes in the wetting behavior of surfaces are of paramount importance for advanced microfluidic, self-cleaning and biomedical applications. In this work we show that the well-known polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer develops self-patterning when it is coated with nanostructured TiO2 films prepared by physical vapor deposition at glancing angles and subsequently subjected to a mechanical deformation. Thus, unlike the disordered wrinkled surfaces typically created by deformation of the bare elastomer, well-ordered and aligned micro-scaled grooves form on TiO2/PDMS after the first post-deposition bending or stretching event. These regularly patterned surfaces can be reversibly modified by mechanical deformation, thereby inducing a switchable and reversible

SUBMITTER: Parra-Barranco J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8538580 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature