Droplet clusters: nature-inspired biological reactors and aerosols

Abstract

Condensed microdroplets play a prominent role in living nature, participating in various phenomena, from water harvesting by plants and insects to microorganism migration in bioaerosols. Microdroplets may also form regular self-organized patterns, such as the hexagonally ordered breath figures on a solid surface or levitating monolayer droplet clusters over a locally heated water layer. While the breath figures have been studied since the nineteenth century, they have found a recent application in polymer surface micropatterning (e.g. for superhydrophobicity). Droplet clusters were discovered in 2004, and they are the subject of active research. Methods to control and stabilize droplet clusters make them suitable for the in situ analysis of bioaerosols. Studying life in bioaerosols is important for understanding microorganism origins and migration; however, direct observation with traditional methods has not been possible. We report preliminary results on direct in situ observation of microorganisms in droplet clusters. We also present a newly observed transition between the hexagonally ordered and chain-like states of a droplet cluster. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Bioinspired materials and surfaces for green science and technology (part 2)’.