Mechanically Reliable Surfaces for Superhydrophobicity

该奖项将允许对展示“莲花效应”的分层表面进行结合实验和理论研究。主要的实验目标是制备具有超疏水性、自清洁和减阻性能的分层表面，并优化这些表面的耐久性，以确定哪些制造技术和材料可以承受现实世界的应用。将对涂在玻璃窗和太阳能电池板上的耐用表面进行功能测试，以评估其拒水性和耐久性。为了更好地理解实验结果，将通过数学建模来研究分层粗糙度如何影响润湿状态转变、接触角滞后、接触角的长度尺度依赖以及动态效应的理论基础。从这项研究中产生的见解将进一步推动仿生表面在各种应用中的应用，在这些应用中，能源效率和机械可靠性至关重要。由于超疏水表面可用于各种应用，如窗户，挡风玻璃，太阳能电池板，纺织品，船舶，微/纳米通道等，消除清洁的需要将减少能源使用。由于表面的疏水性会影响毛细力，因此将进一步开发新的能量转换方式，如微型毛细发动机。确定提高这些表面机械可靠性的工艺和材料将导致立即的商业应用。这项研究项目的性质将通过促进纳米技术社区的相互作用而使整个社会受益。该研究项目还将通过研讨会和实验室参观提高高中学生对科学和工程的兴趣。

This award will allow for a combined experimental and theoretical study of hierarchical surfaces exhibiting the "lotus effect". The main experimental objectives are to prepare hierarchical surfaces that exhibit superhydrophobicity, self-cleaning and drag reduction, and to optimize the durability of these surfaces to identify which fabrication techniques and materials can potentially withstand real world applications. Functional testing will be conducted on the durable surfaces coated on glass windows and solar panels to evaluate their water repellency and durability. To better understand the experimental results, the theoretical basis of how hierarchical roughness governs the wetting regime transitions, contact angle hysteresis, the length scale dependence of the contact angle, and dynamic effects will be investigated through mathematical modeling. The insights generated from this study will further advance the use of biomimetic surfaces for various applications where both energy efficiency and mechanical reliability are crucial. Since superhydrophobic surfaces can be used in diverse applications such as windows, windshields, solar panels, textiles, ships, micro/nanochannels, among others, eliminating the need for cleaning will reduce energy usage. Since the hydrophobicity of a surface affects the capillary force, new ways of energy conversion, such as the microscale capillary engine, will be further developed. Identifying the processes and materials that improve the mechanical reliability of these surfaces will lead to immediate commercial applications. The nature of this research project will benefit society in general by furthering the interactions in the nanotechnology community. This research project will also enhance interest in science and engineering among high school students though seminars and lab visits.