Liquid metal droplets bouncing higher on thicker water layer

Dai, Yuhang1,2; Li, Minfei1; Ji, Bingqiang1; Wang, Xiong1; Yang, Siyan1; Yu, Peng2; Wang, Steven1; Hao, Chonglei3; Wang, Zuankai1,4

2023-06-14

10.1038/s41467-023-39348-x

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS   影响因子和分区

2041-1723

["Liquid metal (LM) has gained increasing attention for a wide range of applications, such as flexible electronics, soft robots, and chip cooling devices, owing to its low melting temperature, good flexibility, and high electrical and thermal conductivity. In ambient conditions, LM is susceptible to the coverage of a thin oxide layer, resulting in unwanted adhesion with underlying substrates that undercuts its originally high mobility. Here, we discover an unusual phenomenon characterized by the complete rebound of LM droplets from the water layer with negligible adhesion. More counterintuitively, the restitution coefficient, defined as the ratio between the droplet velocities after and before impact, increases with water layer thickness. We reveal that the complete rebound of LM droplets originates from the trapping of a thinly low-viscosity water lubrication film that prevents droplet-solid contact with low viscous dissipation, and the restitution coefficient is modulated by the negative capillary pressure in the lubrication film as a result of the spontaneous spreading of water on the LM droplet. Our findings advance the fundamental understanding of complex fluids' droplet dynamics and provide insights for fluid control.","Liquid metals are widely used in flexible electronics and soft robotics applications, but their adhesion to underlying solid substrates is unwanted. Dai et al. show that liquid metal droplets can overcome adhesion forces and bounce off from the surface covered with a water film with sufficient thickness."]

SCI

英语

NI论文

其他

Research Grants Council of Hong Kong["1-BDCN","B-QC0R","C1006-20WF"] ; Innovation and Technology Council[9440248] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China["51975502","21621001","12071367","52005128","91852205"] ; Program of Shenzhen Peacock Innovation Team[KQTD20210811090146075]

Science & Technology - Other Topics

Multidisciplinary Sciences

WOS:001048208600027

NATURE PORTFOLIO

2-s2.0-85162041725

Web of Science

1.City Univ Hong Kong, Dept Mech Engn, Hong Kong 999077, Peoples R China
2.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mech & Aerosp Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
3.Harbin Inst Technol, Sch Mech Engn & Automat, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
4.Hong Kong Polytech Univ, Dept Mech Engn, Hong Kong 999077, Peoples R China

Dai, Yuhang,Li, Minfei,Ji, Bingqiang,et al. Liquid metal droplets bouncing higher on thicker water layer[J]. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS,2023,14(1).

Dai, Yuhang.,Li, Minfei.,Ji, Bingqiang.,Wang, Xiong.,Yang, Siyan.,...&Wang, Zuankai.(2023).Liquid metal droplets bouncing higher on thicker water layer.NATURE COMMUNICATIONS,14(1).

Dai, Yuhang,et al."Liquid metal droplets bouncing higher on thicker water layer".NATURE COMMUNICATIONS 14.1(2023).