Electrical Switching of Wetting States on Superhydrophobic Surfaces: A Route Towards Reversible Cassie-to-Wenzel Transitions

Manukyan, G. and Oh, J.M. and Ende van den, D. and Lammertink, R.G.H. and Mugele, F. (2011) Electrical Switching of Wetting States on Superhydrophobic Surfaces: A Route Towards Reversible Cassie-to-Wenzel Transitions. Physical Review Letters, 106 (1). 014501. ISSN 0031-9007

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Abstract:	We demonstrate that the equilibrium shape of the composite interface between superhydrophobic surfaces and drops in the superhydrophobic Cassie state under electrowetting is determined by the balance of the Maxwell stress and the Laplace pressure. Energy barriers due to pinning of contact lines at the edges of the hydrophobic pillars control the transition from the Cassie to the Wenzel state. Barriers due to the narrow gap between adjacent pillars control the lateral propagation of the Wenzel state. We demonstrate how reversible switching between the two wetting states can be achieved locally using suitable surface and electrode geometries
Item Type:	Article
Copyright:	© American Physical Society
Faculty:	Science and Technology (TNW)
Research Group:	Physics of Complex Fluids (PCF) Soft Matter, Fluidics and Interfaces (SFI)
Link to this item:	http://purl.utwente.nl/publications/79855
Official URL:	http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.014501
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