PhotoniX, Volume. 2, Issue 1, 17(2021)

Laser fabrication of modular superhydrophobic chips for reconfigurable assembly and self-propelled droplet manipulation

Huan Wang1...2, Yong-Lai Zhang1,*, Dong-Dong Han1, Wei Wang1, and Hong-Bo Sun13,** |Show fewer author(s)
Author Affiliations
  • 1State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun 130012, China
  • 2Hooke Instruments, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130033, China
  • 3State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Haidian, Beijing 100084, China
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    Natural creatures that enables controllable liquid transport provides the inspiration for developing novel microfluidic devices by engineering functional surfaces with superwettability. However, towards microfluidic applications, the strict requirements of sophisticated droplet manipulation make it challenging to reach this end. In this work, we report a conceptually new self-propelled droplet manipulation strategy based on reconfigurable superhydrophobic chips. The modular droplet chip (MDC) is developed by laser embossing a series of superhydrophobic structures on elastomer jigsaws that act as functional units. MDC is potable since only gravity is used as the driving force for dynamic manipulation of liquid droplets, including droplets transporting, splitting, merging and bouncing without mass loss. The MDC demonstrated reasonable anti-cross-contamination property due to the water repellence of the superhydrophobicity. Modular assembly of MDC enables different chip functions including solution dilution, SERS detection, cell labeling and chemical synthesis. As a miniature and portable experimental platform, the MDC is promising for next-generation lab-on-a-chip systems.

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    Huan Wang, Yong-Lai Zhang, Dong-Dong Han, Wei Wang, Hong-Bo Sun. Laser fabrication of modular superhydrophobic chips for reconfigurable assembly and self-propelled droplet manipulation[J]. PhotoniX, 2021, 2(1): 17

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    Paper Information

    Category: Research Articles

    Received: Apr. 9, 2021

    Accepted: Jun. 1, 2021

    Published Online: Jul. 10, 2023

    The Author Email: Zhang Yong-Lai (yonglaizhang@jlu.edu.cn), Sun Hong-Bo (hbsun@tsinghua.edu.cn)

    DOI:10.1186/s43074-021-00033-1

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