Application Cases

Experiment Title: Application of High-Voltage Amplifier in Nondirectional Droplet Transport on Slippery Lubricant-Infused Surfaces Driven by Electrowetting-Induced Wettability Gradients

Experimental Content:
Introducing electrowetting-induced wettability gradients on flat slippery lubricant-infused surfaces. By printing radial interdigitated electrode arrays, the electric field can be patterned to generate wettability gradients, enabling directional droplet transport. Theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that droplet transport behavior can be evaluated using the dimensionless electric Bond number. The slippery lubricant-infused surface allows for the nondestructive transport of various droplet types.

Experimental Objective:
The droplet transport mentioned in the experiment holds potential for applications in heat transfer, anti-fouling, microfluidics, and biochemical analysis.

Testing Equipment: Electrode substrate, signal generator DG1032, ATA-2161 high-voltage amplifier, optical goniometer, optical microscope, PTFE film, high-speed camera.

Experimental Platform:

Experimental Procedure:
(1) Prepare the experimental sample by covering a patterned electrode substrate with a slippery lubricant-infused film (Figure 1(a-c)).
(2) Connect the voltage signal source output from the signal generator and high-voltage power amplifier to the positive and negative electrodes (Figure 1(d)).
(3) After applying DC or AC voltage to the electrode substrate, the radial interdigitated electrode design generates an electric field intensity gradient, thereby inducing a wettability gradient and achieving droplet transport.

Test Results:
Achieved directional droplet transport; demonstrated related applications of directional droplet transport, such as the collection of organic microdroplets (Figure 2a), dust cleaning during droplet transport (Figure 2b), and droplet transport in an oil-phase environment (Figure 2c).

Figure: ATA-2161 High-Voltage Amplifier Specifications and Parameters