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Related Concept Videos

Adhesion

Adhesion

Adhesion occurs when one type of molecule is attracted to a different molecule. Water exhibits adhesive properties in the presence of polar surfaces, such as glass or cellulose in plants. For instance, when water is poured into a glass, the positively charged hydrogen molecules of water are more attracted to the negatively charged oxygen molecules in the silica than to the oxygen in neighboring water molecules.
Capillary action is a result of water’s adhesive tendencies. When a narrow...

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

When very thin cylindrical tubes, called capillaries, are dipped in a liquid, the liquid rises or falls in the tube compared to the surrounding liquid. This phenomenon is called capillary action. Capillary action occurs due to the combination of two opposing forces: the cohesive forces of the liquid, which cause it to stick to itself and form a rounded shape, and the adhesive forces between the liquid and the walls of the container, which cause the liquid to be attracted to the container walls.

Capillarity in Fluid

Capillarity in Fluid

Capillarity describes the movement of liquid in small spaces without external forces acting on it. The capillarity is driven by surface tension and adhesive interactions between the liquid and surrounding solid surfaces. This effect is often seen in narrow tubes, porous materials, and fine particles.
Surface tension is crucial to capillarity. It results from cohesive forces between liquid molecules at the liquid-air boundary, forming a skin that resists external forces. When the capillary tube...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Using Adhesive Patterning to Construct 3D Paper Microfluidic Devices

Using Adhesive Patterning to Construct 3D Paper Microfluidic Devices

Published on: April 1, 2016

Adhesion directed capillary origami.

Timothy Twohig¹, Andrew B Croll¹

¹Department of Physics, North Dakota State University, Fargo, USA. andrew.croll@ndsu.edu.

|September 29, 2021

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Adhesion, not evaporation, enables stable capillary origami. This study demonstrates how controlling adhesion in thin films allows for the creation of complex, multi-step, and functional assembled structures.

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Fabrication and Visualization of Capillary Bridges in Slit Pore Geometry

Published on: January 9, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 18, 2025

Using Adhesive Patterning to Construct 3D Paper Microfluidic Devices

Using Adhesive Patterning to Construct 3D Paper Microfluidic Devices

Published on: April 1, 2016

Imaging Molecular Adhesion in Cell Rolling by Adhesion Footprint Assay

Imaging Molecular Adhesion in Cell Rolling by Adhesion Footprint Assay

Published on: September 27, 2021

Fabrication and Visualization of Capillary Bridges in Slit Pore Geometry

Fabrication and Visualization of Capillary Bridges in Slit Pore Geometry

Published on: January 9, 2014

Area of Science:

Materials Science
Soft Matter Physics
Microfabrication

Background:

Capillary origami utilizes liquid drop surface forces for thin film assembly.
Evaporation of the liquid drop typically prevents the creation of stable, dry structures.

Purpose of the Study:

To demonstrate that adhesion is a crucial enabler, rather than a hindrance, for stable capillary-assembled origami.
To explore the role of substrate-film and film-film adhesion in capillary assembly.
To develop methods for creating complex, multi-step capillary origami structures.

Main Methods:

Experiments using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) thin films to investigate adhesion properties.
Utilizing directional adhesion to control film peeling during capillary assembly.
Demonstrating the creation of specific origami structures, including a 'double-fold' and an 'origami airplane'.

Main Results:

Adhesion was identified as a key factor for creating stable, complex capillary origami structures.
Directional adhesion successfully directed film peeling, enabling patterned folds.
A minimal complex structure (double-fold) and a functional origami airplane were fabricated, showcasing multi-step assembly facilitated by adhesion.

Conclusions:

Adhesion is essential for overcoming the limitations of evaporative self-assembly in capillary origami.
Controlling adhesion provides a pathway to engineer complex, stable, and functional thin-film structures.
This work opens new possibilities for advanced microfabrication and self-assembly techniques.