Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity02:57

Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity

31.9K
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...
31.9K
Surface Tension of Fluid01:22

Surface Tension of Fluid

970
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...
970
Surface Tension and Surface Energy01:16

Surface Tension and Surface Energy

2.7K
When a paint brush is immersed in water, the bristles wave freely inside the water. When it is taken out, the bristles stick together. The reason behind this effect is surface tension.
Consider a beaker filled with liquid. The bulk molecules in the liquid experience equal attractive forces on all sides with the surrounding molecules. However, the surface molecules experience a net attractive force downward due to the bulk molecules. The surface of the liquid behaves like a stretched membrane,...
2.7K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Bioinspired ultra-fast dissolving core-sheath beaded-structured nanofibrous membranes <i>via</i> one-step emulsion electrospinning for skin moisturization.

Materials horizons·2026
Same author

A biomimetic strip for standardized evaluation of herbicide deposition dynamics.

Materials horizons·2026
Same author

One-step fabrication of superhydrophobic fabrics with stable mechanical performance in harsh conditions.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Microdroplet Intaking Spinning Turbine for Active Radiation Fog Harvesting.

Advanced materials (Deerfield Beach, Fla.)·2026
Same author

Dynamic Repellency of Water-Proof Surfaces.

ACS nano·2025
Same author

Bioinspired wettability boundary stabilizes water sloshing.

Science advances·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 4, 2025

Taking Advantage of Reduced Droplet-surface Interaction to Optimize Transport of Bioanalytes in Digital Microfluidics
07:57

Taking Advantage of Reduced Droplet-surface Interaction to Optimize Transport of Bioanalytes in Digital Microfluidics

Published on: November 10, 2014

8.2K

Finger directed surface charges for local droplet motion.

Ning Li1, Cunlong Yu2, Zhichao Dong1

  • 1CAS Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Sciences, Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, P. R. China. dongzhichao@iccas.ac.cn and School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, P. R. China.

Soft Matter
|October 21, 2020
PubMed
Summary

Researchers developed a non-contact method to precisely control water droplet movement using electrostatic charges. This technique guides droplet motion without liquid loss, enabling new possibilities for droplet robotics and liquid-based devices.

More Related Videos

Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method
07:18

Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method

Published on: June 14, 2019

6.9K
The Visual Colorimetric Detection of Multi-nucleotide Polymorphisms on a Pneumatic Droplet Manipulation Platform
10:01

The Visual Colorimetric Detection of Multi-nucleotide Polymorphisms on a Pneumatic Droplet Manipulation Platform

Published on: September 27, 2016

7.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 4, 2025

Taking Advantage of Reduced Droplet-surface Interaction to Optimize Transport of Bioanalytes in Digital Microfluidics
07:57

Taking Advantage of Reduced Droplet-surface Interaction to Optimize Transport of Bioanalytes in Digital Microfluidics

Published on: November 10, 2014

8.2K
Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method
07:18

Measuring the Interaction Force Between a Droplet and a Super-hydrophobic Substrate by the Optical Lever Method

Published on: June 14, 2019

6.9K
The Visual Colorimetric Detection of Multi-nucleotide Polymorphisms on a Pneumatic Droplet Manipulation Platform
10:01

The Visual Colorimetric Detection of Multi-nucleotide Polymorphisms on a Pneumatic Droplet Manipulation Platform

Published on: September 27, 2016

7.9K

Area of Science:

  • Soft matter physics
  • Microfluidics
  • Robotics

Background:

  • Water droplets are explored as animated soft matter for mimicking living organisms.
  • Controlling local water droplet motion is crucial for life-related processes but challenging without liquid loss.
  • Existing methods struggle with independently manipulating droplet motion routes on substrates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate a novel non-contact strategy for controlling local water droplet motion.
  • To achieve precise manipulation of droplet movement without liquid loss.
  • To explore the influence of surface wettability on droplet motion control.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing a non-contact electrostatic-powered strategy to guide droplet motion.
  • Generating a gradient of electrostatic charges in space to direct the droplet's path.
  • Theoretically simulating a unipolar electrostatic field for motion control.
  • Comparing droplet motion on surfaces with varied wettabilities.

Main Results:

  • Successfully demonstrated controlled local water droplet motion without liquid loss.
  • The electrostatic charge gradient effectively guided the droplet along a defined path.
  • Observed and compared droplet behavior on surfaces with different wettability characteristics.

Conclusions:

  • The electrostatic-powered strategy offers a new method for precise, non-contact control of water droplet motion.
  • This technique enables directed droplet movement without liquid loss, applicable to various substrates.
  • Introduces a new variable for droplet robot schemes and inspires advanced liquid-based devices.