light-induced-patterning-grafting-for-slippery-surfaces-based-on

Light-induced Patterning and Grafting for Slippery Surfaces based on Silane-coated Nanoporous Structures

This protocol describes a light-induced method for fabricating spatially patterned slippery surfaces via digital light processing (DLP) and ...

Changwon National University

The coffee-ring effect, while harnessed in diverse fields such as biosensing and printing, poses challenges for achieving uniform particle deposition. Controlling this phenomenon is thus essential for precision patterning. This study proposes a novel method to regulate coffee-ring formation by tuning surface wettability via integrated nanoporous and hexagonal microstructures. Four distinct surface types were fabricated using UV nanoimprint lithography: planar, porous planar, hexagonal wall, and porous hexagonal wall. The evaporation behavior of colloidal droplets and subsequent particle aggregation were analyzed through contact angle measurements and confocal microscopy. Results demonstrated that nanoscale porosity significantly increased surface wettability and accelerated evaporation, while the hexagonal pattern enhanced droplet stability and suppressed contact line movement. The porous hexagonal surface, in particular, enabled the formation of connected dual-ring patterns with higher particle accumulation near the contact edge. This synergistic design facilitated both stable evaporation and improved localization of particles. The findings provide a quantitative basis for applying patterned porous surfaces in evaporation-driven platforms, with implications for enhanced sensitivity and reproducibility in surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and other biosensing applications.

Harnessing Nanoporous Hexagonal Structures to Control the Coffee Ring Effect and Enhance Particle Patterning.

The primary challenge in creating controllable liquid-based materials lies in managing the structural complexities and multiscale interfaces that govern solid, liquid, and gas phase interactions. Current fabrication methods for liquid-infused surfaces lack topological flexibility, limiting them to planar and simple-patterned structures. Conversely, digitally fabricating slippery architectural materials marks a significant shift towards scalable microprinting of complex, topologically slippery designs. This paper introduces a method for digitally fabricating slippery objects with solid-liquid composite interfaces and geometric design freedom. The slippery architecture has been demonstrated through digital printing of photopolymerization-induced multiphase materials and photoinduced grafting, enabling precise control over structural topologies and slippery properties of infused liquids. This versatile platform facilitates the fabrication of structures at multiple scales, enhancing liquid manipulation, droplet evaporation, and biomedical microfluidic chip design. These methods advance beyond conventional techniques, showcasing the potential of architected slippery surfaces with controlled structural scales.

Article	Year
Harnessing Nanoporous Hexagonal Structures to Control the Coffee Ring Effect and Enhance Particle Patterning. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)\| PubMed ID: 40807321	2025
Digitally fabricated 3D slippery architectures for multifunctional liquid manipulation. Nature communications\| PubMed ID: 41073399	2025

Seong Min Yoon

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