Issue 18, 2024

Smart materials for light control of droplets

Abstract

Droplet manipulation plays a critical role in both fundamental research and practical applications, especially when combined with smart materials and external fields to achieve multifunctional droplet manipulation. Light control of droplets has emerged as a significant and widely used strategy, driven primarily by photochemistry, photomechanics, light-induced Marangoni effects, and light-induced electric effects. This approach allowing for droplet manipulation with high spatial and temporal resolution, all while maintaining a remote and non-contact mode of operation. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the mechanisms underlying light control of droplets, the design of smart materials for this purpose, and the diverse range of applications enabled by this technique. These applications include merging, splitting, releasing, forwarding, backward movement, and rotation of droplets, as well as chemical reactions, droplet robots, and microfluidics. By presenting this information, we aim to establish a unified framework that guides the sustainable development of light control of droplets. Additionally, this review addresses the challenges associated with light control of droplets and suggests potential directions for future development.

Graphical abstract: Smart materials for light control of droplets

Article information

Article type
Minireview
Submitted
04 11 2023
Accepted
19 3 2024
First published
02 4 2024

Nanoscale, 2024,16, 8820-8827

Smart materials for light control of droplets

M. Liu, J. Hua and X. Du, Nanoscale, 2024, 16, 8820 DOI: 10.1039/D3NR05593K

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