Continuous Directional Water Delivery on the 3D-Printed Arrowhead Microstructure Array

Abstract

Unidirectional transport is attracting increasing attention in the field of microfluidics, because it does not require an external energy supply. However, most of the current self-driving structures are still plagued with persistent problems that restrict their practical applications. These include low transport velocity, short transport distance, and complex structure. This work reports the design of a new arrowhead microstructure array, on which liquid transport can reach speeds of 23 mm/s and the ratio of transport length to channel width (L/R) can reach up to approximately 40. This structure drives liquid through a unique arrow conformation, which can induce capillary force and arrest the reverse motion of the liquid simultaneously. By means of theory, simulation, and experiment, we have studied the mechanism of liquid transport on this structure. We provide a detailed discussion of the relationship between the velocity of liquid transport and the microstructural dimensions. The findings may inspire the design of novel, unidirectional, liquid-spreading surfaces.