Topography‐Free Dual‐Lubricant Patterned Slippery Surfaces for Programmable Droplet Control and High‐Performance Water Harvesting

Passive droplet control is critical for next-generation water harvesting, fluidic logic, and adaptive wetting surfaces. Here, we report a scalable, topography-free slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS) based on poly[1-phenyl-2-[p-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl]acetylene] (PTMSDPA). By selectively chemically fluorinating specific regions of the porous PTMSDPA film, followed by sequential infusion of two immiscible hydrophobic lubricants into their respective affinity-matched polymer matrices, this approach enables interfacial energy contrasts that direct droplet motion. The heterogeneous oil-infused porous surface (HOIPS) has a unique intrinsic fluorescence enabling real-time, dye-free visualization of infiltrated lubricant domains. Owing to its ultrathin (∼200 nm) and flexible polymer structure, the HOIPS enables controllable droplet motion on flat, flexible, and curved substrates without reliance on surface topography, physical confinement, or asymmetric geometries. Sub-millimeter-scale HOIPS line patterns enable controlled droplet coalescence, shedding diameter, and release timing during condensation, and optimized patterns exhibit up to 2.5× higher water-harvesting performance compared to fluorinated-oil-based SLIPS, providing a material-efficient strategy for liquid-repellent surfaces. Taken together, these results establish PTMSDPA-based HOIPS as a versatile platform for controlled droplet manipulation and condensation management.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Small
Published
2026-02-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202510374
Primary Topic
Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Topography‐Free Dual‐Lubricant Patterned Slippery Surfaces for Programmable Droplet Control and High‐Performance Water Harvesting

Eonji Kim, Hwanhui Yun, Jineun Lee, Jinhee Lee et al.
Small
Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
article

Topography‐Free Dual‐Lubricant Patterned Slippery Surfaces for Programmable Droplet Control and High‐Performance Water Harvesting

Eonji Kim, Hwanhui Yun, Jineun Lee, Jinhee Lee, Giseop Kwak, Doo Young Choi, Joon Heon Kim, Jinchul Yang, Kyuyoung Heo, In Hwan Jung, Wang‐Eun Lee, Yong‐Jae Jin
article en

Abstract

Passive droplet control is critical for next-generation water harvesting, fluidic logic, and adaptive wetting surfaces. Here, we report a scalable, topography-free slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS) based on poly[1-phenyl-2-[p-(trimethylsilyl)phenyl]acetylene] (PTMSDPA). By selectively chemically fluorinating specific regions of the porous PTMSDPA film, followed by sequential infusion of two immiscible hydrophobic lubricants into their respective affinity-matched polymer matrices, this approach enables interfacial energy contrasts that direct droplet motion. The heterogeneous oil-infused porous surface (HOIPS) has a unique intrinsic fluorescence enabling real-time, dye-free visualization of infiltrated lubricant domains. Owing to its ultrathin (∼200 nm) and flexible polymer structure, the HOIPS enables controllable droplet motion on flat, flexible, and curved substrates without reliance on surface topography, physical confinement, or asymmetric geometries. Sub-millimeter-scale HOIPS line patterns enable controlled droplet coalescence, shedding diameter, and release timing during condensation, and optimized patterns exhibit up to 2.5× higher water-harvesting performance compared to fluorinated-oil-based SLIPS, providing a material-efficient strategy for liquid-repellent surfaces. Taken together, these results establish PTMSDPA-based HOIPS as a versatile platform for controlled droplet manipulation and condensation management.

Small
Kyungpook National University (KR), Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (KR), Korea Photonics Technology Institute (KR), Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KR), Hanyang University (KR)
Clean water and sanitation
Openalex Percentile: Top 62%
Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.