Stimulus Responsive Remotely Rupturable Adhesive Marbles Realized through a Hybrid Nanoparticle Concept

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Liquid marble technology enables unique encapsulation and manipulation of liquids.
• Adhesive applications require precise control over material delivery and bonding.
• Remote actuation methods are sought for advanced material handling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel adhesive marbles with remote breakability.
• To investigate the properties and formation of superomniphobic hybrid nanoparticles for encapsulation.
• To explore the photothermal response and tunable rupture characteristics of these adhesive marbles.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of a chemically linked superomniphobic hybrid perfluorinated carbon black-silica nanoparticle (PCBSN).
• Encapsulation of various adhesives (water, epoxy, silicone) to form marbles.
• Analysis of interface characteristics, marble formation energy, and photothermal response to laser stimuli.
• Evaluation of mechanical integrity and cyclability through rolling impact tests.

Main Results:

• Successfully formed water, epoxy, and silicone marbles with high contact angles using PCBSN.
• Demonstrated inverse relationship between marble formation work and particle surface energy/liquid surface tension.
• Observed rapid photothermal response and tunable remote rupturability via laser irradiation (breaking time <10 to 500 s).
• Achieved good photothermal efficiency (88.6–162.9 × 10^-3 at 1.5 W) and high mechanical integrity.

Conclusions:

• PCBSN is effective for creating stable adhesive marbles with diverse liquids.
• Adhesive marbles exhibit controllable remote breaking via photothermal effect.
• These marbles show promise for 'bonding from a distance' applications.