Directional Liquid Transport on Biomimetic Surface with Wedge-Shaped Pattern: Mechanism, Construction, and Applications
Natural organisms have evolved highly sophisticated mechanisms for managing water across a broad range of environmental conditions, from arid to highly humid regions. Among these mechanisms, directional liquid transport (DLT) is particularly noteworthy, as it relies on structural designs that facili...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Biomimetics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/5/298 |
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| author | Qing’an Meng Junjie Zhou Jie Pang Luofeng Wang Kaicheng Yang Zhangcan Li Jiayu Xie |
| author_facet | Qing’an Meng Junjie Zhou Jie Pang Luofeng Wang Kaicheng Yang Zhangcan Li Jiayu Xie |
| author_sort | Qing’an Meng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Natural organisms have evolved highly sophisticated mechanisms for managing water across a broad range of environmental conditions, from arid to highly humid regions. Among these mechanisms, directional liquid transport (DLT) is particularly noteworthy, as it relies on structural designs that facilitate the spontaneous movement of liquids along predefined pathways without the need for external energy sources. The increasing interest in DLT systems is primarily driven by their potential applications in fields such as microfluidics, water harvesting, and biomedical engineering. The focus on DLT is motivated by its ability to inspire efficient, energy-independent liquid transport technologies, which hold significant promise for both fundamental research and practical applications. Notably, wedge-shaped DLT systems have emerged as a particularly promising area of study due to their advantages in terms of manufacturability, liquid collection efficiency, and scalability—attributes that are essential for industrial deployment. This review seeks to explore natural wedge-based DLT systems, providing an in-depth analysis of their underlying principles and their potential for engineering replication. The discussion includes examples from nature, such as desert beetles and spider silk, and explores the theoretical mechanisms governing these systems, including the role of surface energy gradients and Laplace pressure. Additionally, the review highlights advanced fabrication techniques, such as photolithography and laser micromachining, which are crucial for the development of these systems in practical applications. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e513b4bb5fa54cb78f58d39b38b665a1 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2313-7673 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biomimetics |
| spelling | doaj-art-e513b4bb5fa54cb78f58d39b38b665a12025-08-20T01:56:29ZengMDPI AGBiomimetics2313-76732025-05-0110529810.3390/biomimetics10050298Directional Liquid Transport on Biomimetic Surface with Wedge-Shaped Pattern: Mechanism, Construction, and ApplicationsQing’an Meng0Junjie Zhou1Jie Pang2Luofeng Wang3Kaicheng Yang4Zhangcan Li5Jiayu Xie6College of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Chengdu 641419, ChinaCollege of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Chengdu 641419, ChinaCollege of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Chengdu 641419, ChinaCollege of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Chengdu 641419, ChinaCollege of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Chengdu 641419, ChinaCollege of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Chengdu 641419, ChinaCollege of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Chengdu 641419, ChinaNatural organisms have evolved highly sophisticated mechanisms for managing water across a broad range of environmental conditions, from arid to highly humid regions. Among these mechanisms, directional liquid transport (DLT) is particularly noteworthy, as it relies on structural designs that facilitate the spontaneous movement of liquids along predefined pathways without the need for external energy sources. The increasing interest in DLT systems is primarily driven by their potential applications in fields such as microfluidics, water harvesting, and biomedical engineering. The focus on DLT is motivated by its ability to inspire efficient, energy-independent liquid transport technologies, which hold significant promise for both fundamental research and practical applications. Notably, wedge-shaped DLT systems have emerged as a particularly promising area of study due to their advantages in terms of manufacturability, liquid collection efficiency, and scalability—attributes that are essential for industrial deployment. This review seeks to explore natural wedge-based DLT systems, providing an in-depth analysis of their underlying principles and their potential for engineering replication. The discussion includes examples from nature, such as desert beetles and spider silk, and explores the theoretical mechanisms governing these systems, including the role of surface energy gradients and Laplace pressure. Additionally, the review highlights advanced fabrication techniques, such as photolithography and laser micromachining, which are crucial for the development of these systems in practical applications.https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/5/298biomimeticdirectional liquid transportwedge-shaped pattern surface |
| spellingShingle | Qing’an Meng Junjie Zhou Jie Pang Luofeng Wang Kaicheng Yang Zhangcan Li Jiayu Xie Directional Liquid Transport on Biomimetic Surface with Wedge-Shaped Pattern: Mechanism, Construction, and Applications Biomimetics biomimetic directional liquid transport wedge-shaped pattern surface |
| title | Directional Liquid Transport on Biomimetic Surface with Wedge-Shaped Pattern: Mechanism, Construction, and Applications |
| title_full | Directional Liquid Transport on Biomimetic Surface with Wedge-Shaped Pattern: Mechanism, Construction, and Applications |
| title_fullStr | Directional Liquid Transport on Biomimetic Surface with Wedge-Shaped Pattern: Mechanism, Construction, and Applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Directional Liquid Transport on Biomimetic Surface with Wedge-Shaped Pattern: Mechanism, Construction, and Applications |
| title_short | Directional Liquid Transport on Biomimetic Surface with Wedge-Shaped Pattern: Mechanism, Construction, and Applications |
| title_sort | directional liquid transport on biomimetic surface with wedge shaped pattern mechanism construction and applications |
| topic | biomimetic directional liquid transport wedge-shaped pattern surface |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2313-7673/10/5/298 |
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