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Tunable Spreading and Shrinking on Photocontrolled Liquid Substrate.

Wenjie Ji1,2, Weibin Li1,2, Yuren Wang1,2

  • 1Key Laboratory of Microgravity (National Microgravity Laboratory), Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100190 Beijing, China.

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|January 1, 2020
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Summary

This study shows how n-hexadecane droplets change size on a special liquid surface when exposed to different light colors. Adding ethanol significantly enhances this light-controlled droplet behavior for potential optical lens applications.

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Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Surface Science
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Photosensitive surfactants enable light-responsive material properties.
  • Controlling droplet behavior is crucial for microfluidics and optical devices.
  • AzoTAB is a photosensitive surfactant that changes conformation upon light exposure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the photocontrolled spreading and shrinking of n-hexadecane droplets on an aqueous AzoTAB solution.
  • To explore the effect of ethanol addition on droplet dynamics under light irradiation.
  • To establish a contactless and isothermal method for manipulating droplet size for potential optical zoom lens applications.

Main Methods:

  • Irradiation of n-hexadecane droplets on an aqueous AzoTAB solution with ultraviolet (365 nm) and blue light (475 nm).
  • Measurement of droplet diameter changes to quantify spreading and shrinking.
  • Systematic variation of ethanol concentration in the aqueous substrate.

Main Results:

  • Droplets exhibited shrinking under UV light and spreading under blue light.
  • The wettability change of the n-hexadecane droplet was directly linked to alterations in oil-water interface tension.
  • Addition of ethanol led to a significant enhancement in the relative diameter change (ΔD/D > 20%).

Conclusions:

  • Light irradiation provides a contactless and isothermal method to control droplet size on a liquid surface.
  • The observed photocontrolled droplet behavior is mediated by light-induced changes in surfactant properties and interface tension.
  • This technique offers a foundation for developing chromocapillary-based optical zoom liquid lenses.