Unveiling the complex morphologies of sessile droplets on heterogeneous surfaces
Abstract Droplets exhibiting a myriad of shapes on surfaces are ubiquitous in both nature and industrial applications. In high-resolution manufacturing processes, e.g., semiconductor chips, precise control over wetting shapes is crucial for production accuracy. Despite the high demand for describing...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Communications Physics |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-01939-z |
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| _version_ | 1832585669465079808 |
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| author | Yanchen Wu Hongmin Zhang Fei Wang Britta Nestler |
| author_facet | Yanchen Wu Hongmin Zhang Fei Wang Britta Nestler |
| author_sort | Yanchen Wu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Droplets exhibiting a myriad of shapes on surfaces are ubiquitous in both nature and industrial applications. In high-resolution manufacturing processes, e.g., semiconductor chips, precise control over wetting shapes is crucial for production accuracy. Despite the high demand for describing droplet wetting shapes and their transformations across a wide range of applications, a robust model for precisely depicting complex three-dimensional (3D) wetting droplet shapes on heterogeneous surfaces remains elusive. Herein, we fill this gap by developing a universal, high-precision model that accurately describes wetting shapes, including those with polygonal baselines and irregular footprints. Our model reveals the intricate wetting morphologies beyond the classic Young’s law and Cassie-Baxter-Wenzel models. Besides, it aligns quantitatively with physical simulations for various droplet volumes. This work provides a potential method to achieve highly complex morphologies of droplets via low-cost beforehand design of the surfaces, thereby opening up potential applications in 3D printing, printed electronics, and microfluidics. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-cb7a396b204d4c06bce1472a6315de04 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2399-3650 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Physics |
| spelling | doaj-art-cb7a396b204d4c06bce1472a6315de042025-01-26T12:37:04ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Physics2399-36502025-01-018111110.1038/s42005-025-01939-zUnveiling the complex morphologies of sessile droplets on heterogeneous surfacesYanchen Wu0Hongmin Zhang1Fei Wang2Britta Nestler3Institute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyInstitute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyInstitute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyInstitute of Nanotechnology, Karlsruhe Institute of TechnologyAbstract Droplets exhibiting a myriad of shapes on surfaces are ubiquitous in both nature and industrial applications. In high-resolution manufacturing processes, e.g., semiconductor chips, precise control over wetting shapes is crucial for production accuracy. Despite the high demand for describing droplet wetting shapes and their transformations across a wide range of applications, a robust model for precisely depicting complex three-dimensional (3D) wetting droplet shapes on heterogeneous surfaces remains elusive. Herein, we fill this gap by developing a universal, high-precision model that accurately describes wetting shapes, including those with polygonal baselines and irregular footprints. Our model reveals the intricate wetting morphologies beyond the classic Young’s law and Cassie-Baxter-Wenzel models. Besides, it aligns quantitatively with physical simulations for various droplet volumes. This work provides a potential method to achieve highly complex morphologies of droplets via low-cost beforehand design of the surfaces, thereby opening up potential applications in 3D printing, printed electronics, and microfluidics.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-01939-z |
| spellingShingle | Yanchen Wu Hongmin Zhang Fei Wang Britta Nestler Unveiling the complex morphologies of sessile droplets on heterogeneous surfaces Communications Physics |
| title | Unveiling the complex morphologies of sessile droplets on heterogeneous surfaces |
| title_full | Unveiling the complex morphologies of sessile droplets on heterogeneous surfaces |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling the complex morphologies of sessile droplets on heterogeneous surfaces |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling the complex morphologies of sessile droplets on heterogeneous surfaces |
| title_short | Unveiling the complex morphologies of sessile droplets on heterogeneous surfaces |
| title_sort | unveiling the complex morphologies of sessile droplets on heterogeneous surfaces |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42005-025-01939-z |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yanchenwu unveilingthecomplexmorphologiesofsessiledropletsonheterogeneoussurfaces AT hongminzhang unveilingthecomplexmorphologiesofsessiledropletsonheterogeneoussurfaces AT feiwang unveilingthecomplexmorphologiesofsessiledropletsonheterogeneoussurfaces AT brittanestler unveilingthecomplexmorphologiesofsessiledropletsonheterogeneoussurfaces |