Complementary Superwetting Structures Treated by a Femtosecond Laser for Simultaneous Spontaneous Directional Transport of Water Droplets and Underwater Bubbles

Abstract

The control of fluid transport is crucial and has broad applications in the fields of intelligent systems and microfluidics. However, current studies usually focus on the spontaneous directional transport of a single type of fluid or require complex preparation processes. In this paper, the single femtosecond laser direct processing of complementary superwetting structures using polyimide/polytetrafluoroethylene is proposed, for the first time, to realize simultaneous spontaneous directional transport of water droplets and underwater bubbles without any additional energy or chemical treatment. The flexible laser fabrication enables the creation of diverse transport structures, facilitating the achievement of linear and curvilinear fluid transport on superwetting structures. In addition, relevant applications in self-transporting chemical reactions and bubble switching are presented. This technique provides a novel approach to fabricate patterned superwetting surfaces for applications in intelligent transport, microbiology, and chemistry.