Abstract

Patterned polymeric coatings enriched with colloidal TiO2 nanorods and prepared by photopolymerization are found to exhibit a remarkable increase in their water wettability when irradiated with UV laser light. The effect can be completely reversed using successive storage in vacuum and dark ambient environment. By exploiting the enhancement of the nanocomposites hydrophilicity upon UV irradiation, we prepare wettability gradients along the surfaces by irradiating adjacent surface areas with increasing time. The gradients are carefully designed to achieve directional movement of water drops along them, taking into account the hysteresis effect that opposes the movement as well as the change in the shape of the drop during its motion. The accomplishment of surface paths for liquid flow, along which the hydrophilicity gradually increases, opens the way to a vast number of potential applications in microfluidics.

Autore Pugliese

• Cozzoli Pantaleo Davide

Tutti gli autori

• F. VILLAFIORITA MONTELEONE , G. CAPUTO , C. CANALE , P. D. COZZOLI , R. CINGOLANI , D. FRAGOULI , A. ATHANASSIOU

Titolo volume/Rivista

LANGMUIR

Anno di pubblicazione

2010

ISSN

0743-7463

ISBN

Non Disponibile

Numero di citazioni Wos

15

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

28/04/2018

Numero di citazioni Scopus

21

Ultimo Aggiornamento Citazioni

28/04/2018

Settori ERC

Non Disponibile

Codici ASJC

Non Disponibile