Lambert, Pierre <br/><br/>
Microscale Surface Tension and Its Applications 

 -  MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute  2019 
 - 1 electronic resource (240 p.) 
<br/><br/> Open Access 
<br/><br/> Building on advances in miniaturization and soft matter, surface tension effects are a major key to the development of soft/fluidic microrobotics. Benefiting from scaling laws, surface tension and capillary effects can enable sensing, actuation, adhesion, confinement, compliance, and other structural and functional properties necessary in micro- and nanosystems. Various applications are under development: microfluidic and lab-on-chip devices, soft gripping and manipulation of particles, colloidal and interfacial assemblies, fluidic/droplet mechatronics. The capillary action is ubiquitous in drops, bubbles and menisci, opening a broad spectrum of technological solutions and scientific investigations. Identified grand challenges to the establishment of fluidic microrobotics include mastering the dynamics of capillary effects, controlling the hysteresis arising from wetting and evaporation, improving the dispensing and handling of tiny droplets, and developing a mechatronic approach for the control and programming of surface tension effects. In this Special Issue of Micromachines, we invite contributions covering all aspects of microscale engineering relying on surface tension. Particularly, we welcome contributions on fundamentals or applications related to:Drop-botics: fluidic or surface tension-based micro/nanorobotics: capillary manipulation, gripping, and actuation, sensing, folding, propulsion and bio-inspired solutions; Control of surface tension effects: surface tension gradients, active surfactants, thermocapillarity, electrowetting, elastocapillarity; Handling of droplets, bubbles and liquid bridges: dispensing, confinement, displacement, stretching, rupture, evaporation; Capillary forces: modelling, measurement, simulation; Interfacial engineering: smart liquids, surface treatments; Interfacial fluidic and capillary assembly of colloids and devices; Biological applications of surface tension, including lab-on-chip and organ-on-chip systems. We expect novel as well as review contributions on all aspects of surface tension-based micro/nanoengineering. In line with Micromachines' policy, we also invite research proposals that introduce ideas for new applications, devices, or technologies. 
<br/><br/><br/>Creative Commons 
<br/><br/><br/>English 
<br/><br/><label>ISBN: </label>books978-3-03921-565-2 9783039215652 9783039215645 
<br/><br/><label>Standard No.: </label>10.3390/books978-3-03921-565-2  doi 
<br/><br/><label>Subjects--Index Terms: </label>electrodynamic screen soft tissue microstructure mist capillary self-alignment droplet lab-on-a-chip mixing nanoprecipitation asymmetric surfaces gecko setae oil-water interface non-invasive control self-cleaning surface corrosive resistance micropipette-technique hydrophobic wettability gradient lung-surfactants hydrophilic dynamic vibrations superhydrophobic microasssembly adsorption wetting photochemical reaction contact line oscillation 355 nm UV laser capillary computational fluid dynamics bearing solutal Marangoni effect relaxation oscillations superhydrophilic microtexture melting rigid gas permeable contact lenses hydrophilic/superhydrophobic patterned surfaces polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) replication microfabrication actuation droplet transport “droplet-interface-bilayers” microfluidics electrosurgical scalpels continuous-flow reactor air-water surface micromanufacturing surface treatment liquid bridge stereolithography super-hydrophobic two-phase flow hot drop durable insoluble lipids anti-sticking smart superhydrophobic surface droplet manipulation “black lipid films” condensation pick-and-place wettability gas-microbubbles soft robotics capillary pressure superomniphobic self-lubricating slippery surface electrowetting soluble surfactant anisotropic ratchet conveyor Nasturtium leaf droplets photoresponsible surfactant two-photon polymerization contact angle adhesion transport pick and place surface tension oil-microdroplets micromanipulation laser die transfer capillary gripper equilibrium