Impact of Microstructures on the Movement of Droplets Regulated by Bioinspired Functional Wedge‐Shaped Surfaces

Abstract

At present, bioinspired functional surfaces have garnered widespread research attention due to the application of directional droplets movement. Herein, inspired by the anisotropic of rice leaves and conical structures of cactus, a bionic wedge‐shaped surface with microstructure of “rice leaf” based on the laser method is reported. In addition, the impact of the microstructure geometrical parameters in the wedge‐shaped surface on the droplet moving anisotropy and manipulation capacity is discussed. Herein, it is found that the movement distance of droplets is effectively improved by regulating the rib‐like microstructure topography and changing the wedge angle. Meanwhile, the movement distance and spreading direction of droplets are controlled by constructing an alternating interface. The results demonstrate that the droplet got optimal displace distance, up to 13 mm by 6.43 s, with the rib‐like microstructure of 0.03 mm and the wedge angle of 10°. When the droplet volume is 40 μL, the droplet is able to separate from the control distance in the alternating interface, after that the droplet moves along the new microstructure direction in the wedge‐shaped surface. Herein, it provides a useful reference for droplet directional movement and water collection.