Versatile bubble maneuvering on photopyroelectric slippery surfaces

• Published in: Nature communications Vol. 14; no. 1; pp. 6158 - 8
• Main Authors: Zhan, Haiyang, Yuan, Zichao, Li, Yu, Zhang, Liang, Liang, Hui, Zhao, Yuhui, Wang, Zhiguo, Zhao, Lei, Feng, Shile, Liu, Yahua
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 03.10.2023; Nature Publishing Group; Nature Portfolio
• Subjects: 147/135; 639/301/357/354; 639/766/189; Adaptability; Automation; Bubbles; Cargo transportation; Contact angle; Deformation effects; Dielectrophoresis; Electric fields; Flexibility; Humanities and Social Sciences; I.R. radiation; Irradiation; Lasers; Light; Light effects; Lithium; Maneuverability; Manufacturing engineering; Marangoni convection; Microfluidic devices; Microfluidics; Microrobots; multidisciplinary; Nanoparticles; Robotics; Robustness; Sandwich structures; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Splitting; Steering; Underwater; Velocity
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41918-y

Contactless bubble manipulation with a high spatiotemporal resolution brings a qualitative leap forward in a variety of applications. Despite considerable advances, light-induced bubble maneuvering remains challenging in terms of robust transportation, splitting and detachment. Here, a photopyroelectric slippery surface (PESS) with a sandwich structure is constructed to achieve the versatile bubble manipulation. Due to the generated dielectric wetting and nonuniform electric field under the irradiation of near infrared (NIR) light, a bubble is subject to both the Laplace force and dielectrophoresis force, enabling a high-efficiency bubble steering. We demonstrate that the splitting, merging and detachment of underwater bubbles can be achieved with high flexibility and precision, high velocity and agile direction maneuverability. We further extend the capability of bubble control to microrobots for cargo transportation, micropart assembly and transmission of gear structures. We envision this robust bubble manipulation strategy on the PESS would provide a valuable platform for various bubble-involved processes, ranging from microfluidic devices to soft robotics. Light-induced bubble maneuvering remains challenging in terms of response and functional adaptability due to the single driving mechanism including the Marangoni effect or asymmetrical deformation. Using a photopyroelectric slippery surface (PESS), Liu et al. demonstrate the splitting, merging, and detachment of underwater bubbles with high flexibility and precision.