RECONFIGURABLE CAPILLARY INTERACTIONS

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Manipulation of objects floating on the surface of a liquid in a non-invasive and reconfigurable manner has the potential to convert the liquid-air interface into a platform for open surface microfluidics (OSDM). Here we work on a novel strategy based on tunable capillary interactions to selectively transport and assemble immiscible droplets as well as solid objects on a liquid substrate. Any foreign object at an interface will create a deformation due to its meniscus, causing an increase in the interfacial area. This deformation depends on the density, shape and wettability of the object with respect to the fluids. Capillary interaction is the result of lateral capillary forces acting to reduce surface area between two deformation causing objects. By controlling the properties of the objects and their anisotropy, capillary interactions can be tuned. Conventionally, capillary interactions are limited to solid objects and often results in static assembling. We've introduced a novel "bubble" based method for creating dynamic interface deformation control. This proved to be an effective strategy for utilizing capillary interactions in a dynamic and reconfigurable manner. On demand assembly, disassembly, separation as well as long range transport of entities could be achieved by combining wettability tuning of objects and dynamic interface deformation. Optical and thermal control of interface deformation if implemented can achieve remote control of Capillary interactions for the realisation of smart system such as lab on chip devices.

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Related Publications

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1.Thamarasseril Vijayan Vinay, Subramanyan Namboodiri Varanakkottu* (2019), Separation of floating oil drops based on drop-liquid substrate interfacial tension, Langmuir (Just accepted article, *Corresponding author). 

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2. Thamarasseril Vijayan Vinay, Theneyur Narayanaswamy Banuprasad, Sajan Daniel George, Soney Varghese, Subramanyan Namboodiri Varanakkottu* (2017), Additive-Free Tunable Transport and Assembly of Floating Objects at Water-Air-Interface Using Bubble-Mediated Capillary Forces, Advanced Materials Interfaces, 4(7), 1601231 (*Corresponding author).

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Affiliated persons

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Vinay T V

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