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Self‐Sustaining 3D Thin Liquid Films in Ambient Environments
Author(s) -
Camacho Ryan M.,
Fish Davin,
Simmons Matthew,
Awerkamp Parker,
Anderson Rebecca,
Carlson Stephanie,
Laney Joshua,
Viglione Matthew,
Nordin Gregory P.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
advanced materials interfaces
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.671
H-Index - 65
ISSN - 2196-7350
DOI - 10.1002/admi.201901887
Subject(s) - microscale chemistry , materials science , wetting , capillary action , microfluidics , surface tension , evaporation , nanotechnology , thin film , 3d printer , chemical engineering , composite material , mechanical engineering , mathematics education , mathematics , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering , thermodynamics
Thin liquid films (TLF) have fundamental and technological importance ranging from the thermodynamics of cell membranes to the safety of light‐water cooled nuclear reactors. The creation of stable water TLFs, however, is very difficult. In this paper, the realization of thin liquid films of water with custom 3D geometries that persist indefinitely in ambient environments is reported. The wetting films are generated using microscale “mounts” fed by microfluidic channels with small feature sizes and large aspect ratios. These devices are fabricated with a custom 3D printer and resin, which are developed to print high resolution microfluidic geometries. By modifying the 3D‐printed polymer to be hydrophilic and taking advantage of well‐known wetting principles and capillary effects, self‐sustaining microscale “water fountains” are constructed that continuously replenish water lost to evaporation while relying on surface tension to stabilize their shape. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first demonstration of stable sub‐micron thin liquid films (TLFs) of pure water on curved 3D geometries.