Issue 1, 2020

Recent progress of electrowetting for droplet manipulation: from wetting to superwetting systems

Abstract

Many engineering and industrial technologies as well as biological processes are closely related to surface wettability. The control of surface wettability attracts much attention due to the prospective applications based on liquid and droplet manipulation. However, the dynamic modification of wetting is still a challenging issue both in theoretical models and practical applications. Electrowetting (EW) is one of the most widely used methods for controlling the wettability of liquids due to its fast responding speed, large switching range and excellent durability. Since Gabriel Lippmann first discovered the electrocapillary (ECP) phenomenon in 1875, which is a precursor of electrowetting, there has been considerable progress in this field, especially accompanied with the development of wettability and interface science. In this paper, we review the developments of EW for droplet manipulation in view of wetting to superwetting systems over the past decades, including theoretical basis, electrodes and fluid systems, droplet manipulation and special phenomena induced by EW. Finally, we discuss several difficult challenges in this field and provide future research directions from our perspective.

Graphical abstract: Recent progress of electrowetting for droplet manipulation: from wetting to superwetting systems

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
13 7 2019
Accepted
20 9 2019
First published
21 10 2019

Mater. Chem. Front., 2020,4, 140-154

Recent progress of electrowetting for droplet manipulation: from wetting to superwetting systems

P. Teng, D. Tian, H. Fu and S. Wang, Mater. Chem. Front., 2020, 4, 140 DOI: 10.1039/C9QM00458K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements