Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

Surface Tension
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...

Surface Tension of Fluid

Surface Tension of Fluid

Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
Surface tension varies with...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Bioinspired Sensory Transduction for Magnetic Profile Recognition and Encryption.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Same author

Polyzwitterionic Organohydrogel and Soft Composite with Tunable Sol-Gel Properties Enabling On-Demand Functionalization with Colloids.

Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)·2025

Same author

Stretch to scatter: mechanically tunable haze in silica nanofibers - polymer composite films.

Journal of colloid and interface science·2025

Same author

Durable Icephobic and Superhydrophobic Silicon Nanowire Surfaces.

ACS applied materials & interfaces·2025

Same author

A biofluid-repellent nanograss coating enhances flow of protein solutions and preserves transparency of glass capillaries upon exposure to blood.

Nanoscale advances·2025

Same author

Robust Flexible Superhydrophobic Film with Skin-Inspired Gradient Design.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2025

Same journal

Integrated Electrode-to-Device Design via Combination of Grain Boundary Reconstruction and Dynamic Gas Management Toward Stable 3 Ah Aqueous Zinc-Iodine Pouch Cells.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Same journal

Diblock Copolymer Engineered Swim Bladder Membrane Enables Spatiotemporal Synchronized Defense and Pro-Healing in Challenging Soft Tissue Regeneration.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Same journal

Solvation Chemistry Reimagined: LiPF6-Enabled Suppression of Gas Evolution for Ultra-Stable 200 Ah Anode-Free Lithium-Metal Batteries.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Same journal

Entropy-Driven Conformational Disorder Enables Outstanding High-Temperature Energy Storage in Dielectric Polymers.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Same journal

Breaking Thermal Conductivity-Electrical Resistivity Trade-Off in Liquid Metal-Based Thermal Interface Materials via Interface Engineering.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

Same journal

Screen-Printed Few-Layer Graphene Platforms for Monitoring Switchable Spin-Crossover Phenomena at Room-Temperature.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026

See all related articles

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Metal Surfaces for Anti-Icing Applications

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Metal Surfaces for Anti-Icing Applications

Published on: August 15, 2018

Mechanically durable superhydrophobic surfaces.

Tuukka Verho¹, Chris Bower, Piers Andrew

¹Molecular Materials, Department of Applied Physics, Helsinki University of Technology/Aalto University, Puumiehenkuja 2, Aalto, Espoo, Finland.

Advanced Materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)

|January 29, 2011

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Developing durable superhydrophobic surfaces is challenging due to fragile microstructures. Enhanced durability requires robust designs that resist mechanical wear and contamination for long-lasting non-wettability.

More Related Videos

Rendering SiO2/Si Surfaces Omniphobic by Carving Gas-Entrapping Microtextures Comprising Reentrant and Doubly Reentrant Cavities or Pillars

Rendering SiO₂/Si Surfaces Omniphobic by Carving Gas-Entrapping Microtextures Comprising Reentrant and Doubly Reentrant Cavities or Pillars

Published on: February 11, 2020

Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

Published on: August 28, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Metal Surfaces for Anti-Icing Applications

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Metal Surfaces for Anti-Icing Applications

Published on: August 15, 2018

Rendering SiO2/Si Surfaces Omniphobic by Carving Gas-Entrapping Microtextures Comprising Reentrant and Doubly Reentrant Cavities or Pillars

Rendering SiO₂/Si Surfaces Omniphobic by Carving Gas-Entrapping Microtextures Comprising Reentrant and Doubly Reentrant Cavities or Pillars

Published on: February 11, 2020

Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications

Published on: August 28, 2015

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Surface Chemistry

Background:

Superhydrophobic surfaces rely on microscopic roughness, which is often fragile and prone to wear.
Mechanical wear leads to water adhesion and loss of non-wettability.
Surface contamination further reduces the lifespan of these surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

To review strategies for enhancing the durability of superhydrophobic surfaces.
To identify challenges and potential solutions for mechanical wear and contamination resistance.
To highlight the importance of durable surfaces for future applications.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on superhydrophobic surface design and durability.
Analysis of strategies such as hierarchical roughness, self-healing properties, and photocatalytic effects.
Examination of methods to prevent surface contamination, including oleophobic patterns.

Main Results:

Hierarchical roughness protects nanoscale features, improving wear resistance.
Avoiding hydrophilic bulk materials prevents defect formation after wear.
Self-healing mechanisms and photocatalytic effects offer potential for extended surface lifetime.
Oleophobic patterns show promise for resisting organic contaminants.

Conclusions:

The fragility of microstructures is a key limitation for superhydrophobic surfaces.
Mechanical durability can be improved through hierarchical designs and self-healing properties.
Addressing both wear and contamination is crucial for practical applications of superhydrophobic technology.