Spontaneous Cyclic Levitation of Glycerol‐Water Droplets at Low Pressures

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Publication Details

Journal
Advanced Science
Published
2026-09-13
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.77772
Primary Topic
Micro and Nano Robotics
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
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article

Spontaneous Cyclic Levitation of Glycerol‐Water Droplets at Low Pressures

Fuqiang Chu, Shuhuai Yao, Yuan Dong, Xiao Yan et al.
Advanced Science
Micro and Nano Robotics
article

Spontaneous Cyclic Levitation of Glycerol‐Water Droplets at Low Pressures

Fuqiang Chu, Shuhuai Yao, Yuan Dong, Xiao Yan, Xuehu Ma, Renjie Hua, Xu Chen, Dong Liang, Xueshi Li, Qirui Zhang, Wei Ma
article en

Abstract

At low pressures, water often experiences chaotic multiphase transitions that complicate fluid management. Here, we demonstrate that a minimal addition of glycerol to a water droplet can transform these disruptive behaviors into highly regulated dynamics. Instead of typical breakup or rapid self-propulsion, freezing glycerol-water droplets enter a state of gentle, cyclic levitation, repeatedly undergoing "dwelling, liftoff, flight, and impact." We reveal that this phenomenon arises from the dual roles of glycerol. Freeze-concentration preserves interconnected liquid regions and prevents the formation of a closed outer ice shell, thereby limiting the accumulation of expansion-induced stress. In parallel, glycerol lowers the equilibrium freezing temperature, reducing the asymmetric vaporization recoil that drives self-propulsion during recalescence. The suppression of these instabilities enables a cyclic droplet motion driven by self-sustaining thermal oscillation, where basal heating enhances overpressure for liftoff and in-flight vaporization cooling resets the cycle. Our findings unveil a distinct regime of vaporization-driven droplet dynamics that is tunable through composition, offering new strategies for fluid management under extreme conditions, with implications ranging from thermal management to space exploration.

Advanced Science
Ministry of Education (NZ), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HK), Chongqing University (CN), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HK), Chengdu Institute of Information Technology (China) (CN), Dalian University (CN), Institute of Engineering Thermophysics (CN), Hangzhou Dianzi University (CN), University of Science and Technology Beijing (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 16%
Micro and Nano Robotics
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