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    Adaptive fluid-infused porous films with tunable transparency and wettability

    Year: 2013

    Journal: Nature materials, 12, 529-534, 20130926

    Authors: Xi Yao, Yuhang Hu, Alison Grinthal, Tak-SingWong, L. Mahadevan, Joanna Aizenberg

    Organizations: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA, Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA, Kavli Institute for Bionano Science and Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA

    Materials that adapt dynamically to environmental changes arecurrently limited to two-state switching of single properties,and only a small number of strategies that may lead tomaterials with continuously adjustable characteristics havebeen reported1–3. Here we introduce adaptive surfaces madeof a liquid film supported by a nanoporous elastic substrate.As the substrate deforms, the liquid flows within the pores,causing the smooth and defect-free surface to roughen througha continuous range of topographies. We show that a gradedmechanical stimulus can be directly translated into finelytuned, dynamic adjustments of optical transparency andwettability. In particular, we demonstrate simultaneous controlof the film’s transparency and its ability to continuouslymanipulate various low-surface-tension droplets from freeslidingto pinned. This strategy should make possible therational design of tunable, multifunctional adaptive materialsfor a broad range of applications.