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Can Microcavitated Slippery Surfaces Outperform Micropillared and Untextured?
Ratnadeep Samanta1, Sriharitha Rowthu1
1Materials Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar, Gujarat382055, India.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|October 8, 2024
Summary
Microcavities in lubricant-infused slippery surfaces (LIS) offer better droplet control and adhesion than micropillars. These microcavitated surfaces demonstrate superior slippery properties and lubricant retention for specific applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Engineering
- Tribology
Background:
- Designing lubricant-infused slippery surfaces (LIS) relies heavily on surface feature morphology.
- Microcavities were hypothesized to offer advantages in physical pinning, droplet adhesion, and lubricant retention compared to micropillars and untextured surfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of microcavitated, micropillared, and untextured LIS.
- To compare slippery properties, droplet adhesion, and lubricant retention across different surface topographies.
Main Methods:
- Replication of microcavities and micropillars on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) inspired by Lotus leaf.
- Coating surfaces with silicone oil films of varying thicknesses (530 nm–27 μm).
- Investigating water wetting, water-oil stability, droplet adhesion, and oil shear drainage.
Main Results:
- Microcavitated and untextured LIS showed superior slippery properties (lower slide-off angles) compared to micropillared LIS for oil films ≤7 μm thick.
- Droplet normal adhesion followed the order: cavities < untextured < pillars.
- Oil retention efficiency was highest for pillars, followed by cavities, then untextured surfaces.
Conclusions:
- Microcavitated LIS can outperform micropillared and untextured LIS in terms of slippery properties.
- Surface morphology significantly impacts the performance of LIS, affecting adhesion and lubricant retention.
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