Bioinspired smart slippery surfaces for bubble manipulation: from fundamental principles to emerging applications

Abstract

Controllable bubble manipulation on functional surfaces plays a significant role in fundamental research and emerging applications. Inspired by the Nepenthes pitcher plant, smart slippery surfaces have emerged as a promising platform for bubble manipulation thanks to their unique bubble adhesion behaviors. This review paper presents a comprehensive summary of the advancement in bioinspired smart slippery surfaces for bubble manipulation. It first provides the design principles and bubble manipulation mechanisms of smart slippery surfaces. Then, it highlights different bubble manipulation strategies, encompassing passive and active modes under various external stimuli. Furthermore, the emerging bubble-related applications of smart slippery surfaces, such as bubble collectors, bubble microreactors, optical shutters, and bubble microrobots are systematically summarized. Finally, it discusses the limitations and provides some future perspectives regarding smart slippery surfaces for bubble manipulation.