The limit of droplet rebound angle

Abstract Regulating the motion state of droplets after impacting on solid surfaces is crucial in many fields including self-cleaning, energy harvesting, and microfluidics. The rebound angle of the droplet is a key factor in determining its motion state. However, up until now, the limit of droplet re...

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Main Authors: Zhipeng Zhao, Wei Li, Xiaotian Hu, Qiyu Deng, Yiyuan Zhang, Shaojun Jiang, Pengcheng Sun, Hengjia Zhu, Hegeng Li, Siyi Shi, Zhandong Huang, An Li, Huizeng Li, Meng Su, Fengyu Li, Steven Wang, Yanlin Song, Liqiu Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61300-4
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author Zhipeng Zhao
Wei Li
Xiaotian Hu
Qiyu Deng
Yiyuan Zhang
Shaojun Jiang
Pengcheng Sun
Hengjia Zhu
Hegeng Li
Siyi Shi
Zhandong Huang
An Li
Huizeng Li
Meng Su
Fengyu Li
Steven Wang
Yanlin Song
Liqiu Wang
author_facet Zhipeng Zhao
Wei Li
Xiaotian Hu
Qiyu Deng
Yiyuan Zhang
Shaojun Jiang
Pengcheng Sun
Hengjia Zhu
Hegeng Li
Siyi Shi
Zhandong Huang
An Li
Huizeng Li
Meng Su
Fengyu Li
Steven Wang
Yanlin Song
Liqiu Wang
author_sort Zhipeng Zhao
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Regulating the motion state of droplets after impacting on solid surfaces is crucial in many fields including self-cleaning, energy harvesting, and microfluidics. The rebound angle of the droplet is a key factor in determining its motion state. However, up until now, the limit of droplet rebound angle remains unidentified. Here, we reveal a previously undiscovered droplet rebound behavior that the droplet rolls rapidly along the surface with a rebound angle close to 0 degrees, the limit of the droplet rebound angle. Such unexpected behavior originates from the droplet behaving like two mutually perpendicular springs enabled by continuous asymmetric adhesion provided by the heterogeneous modified nanostructure. This boundary-rolling behavior of droplets contributes to scientific and technical advances in various fields that involve droplet-impact, as illustrated through examples of enhanced cleaning efficiency (improved by 349%) and well-controlled droplet transport in tortuous passages which can hardly be achieved before without external fields coupling.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2025-07-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-d2db324b5e7547ff91233445fce426ff2025-08-20T04:01:36ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232025-07-011611810.1038/s41467-025-61300-4The limit of droplet rebound angleZhipeng Zhao0Wei Li1Xiaotian Hu2Qiyu Deng3Yiyuan Zhang4Shaojun Jiang5Pengcheng Sun6Hengjia Zhu7Hegeng Li8Siyi Shi9Zhandong Huang10An Li11Huizeng Li12Meng Su13Fengyu Li14Steven Wang15Yanlin Song16Liqiu Wang17Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong KongDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong KongInstitute of Polymers and Energy Chemistry (IPEC)/Film Energy Chemistry for Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory (FEC), Nanchang UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong KongDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong KongDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong KongDepartment of Mechanical Engineering/Centre of Nature-Inspired Engineering, City University of Hong KongDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong KongDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong KongInstitute of Polymers and Energy Chemistry (IPEC)/Film Energy Chemistry for Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory (FEC), Nanchang UniversitySchool of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Xi’an Jiaotong UniversityKey Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS)/Beijing Engineering Research Center of Nanomaterials for Green Printing Technology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS)/University of Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS)/Beijing Engineering Research Center of Nanomaterials for Green Printing Technology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS)/University of Chinese Academy of SciencesKey Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS)/Beijing Engineering Research Center of Nanomaterials for Green Printing Technology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS)/University of Chinese Academy of SciencesCollege of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan UniversityDepartment of Mechanical Engineering/Centre of Nature-Inspired Engineering, City University of Hong KongKey Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS)/Beijing Engineering Research Center of Nanomaterials for Green Printing Technology, Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS)/University of Chinese Academy of SciencesDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong KongAbstract Regulating the motion state of droplets after impacting on solid surfaces is crucial in many fields including self-cleaning, energy harvesting, and microfluidics. The rebound angle of the droplet is a key factor in determining its motion state. However, up until now, the limit of droplet rebound angle remains unidentified. Here, we reveal a previously undiscovered droplet rebound behavior that the droplet rolls rapidly along the surface with a rebound angle close to 0 degrees, the limit of the droplet rebound angle. Such unexpected behavior originates from the droplet behaving like two mutually perpendicular springs enabled by continuous asymmetric adhesion provided by the heterogeneous modified nanostructure. This boundary-rolling behavior of droplets contributes to scientific and technical advances in various fields that involve droplet-impact, as illustrated through examples of enhanced cleaning efficiency (improved by 349%) and well-controlled droplet transport in tortuous passages which can hardly be achieved before without external fields coupling.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61300-4
spellingShingle Zhipeng Zhao
Wei Li
Xiaotian Hu
Qiyu Deng
Yiyuan Zhang
Shaojun Jiang
Pengcheng Sun
Hengjia Zhu
Hegeng Li
Siyi Shi
Zhandong Huang
An Li
Huizeng Li
Meng Su
Fengyu Li
Steven Wang
Yanlin Song
Liqiu Wang
The limit of droplet rebound angle
Nature Communications
title The limit of droplet rebound angle
title_full The limit of droplet rebound angle
title_fullStr The limit of droplet rebound angle
title_full_unstemmed The limit of droplet rebound angle
title_short The limit of droplet rebound angle
title_sort limit of droplet rebound angle
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-61300-4
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