ArticleACS polymers Au2026
Tunable Wetting and Chemical Coating-Free Slip on Wrinkled PDMS for Droplet Microfluidics.
Article in ACS polymers Au, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Microfluidic systems offer significant advantages in handling small sample volumes while enabling high-throughput experimentation and precise flow control. Surface wettability critically governs droplet-generation efficiency and flow characteristics in microfluidic channels. Topographic modulation of polymer surfaces provides a simple, chemical-free route to tune wettability. We present a surface-engineering strategy that patterns nanoscale wrinkles on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), optimized at 40 ϵ prestrain, 100 W oxygen-plasma power, and 12 min exposure. The resulting wrinkled PDMS exhibited stable hydrophobicity sufficient for reliable water-in-oil droplet generation without any coating. Wettability was quantified by contact-angle measurements, and wrinkle morphology was verified by 3D laser profilometry and atomic force microscopy. Orientation-dependent hydrophobicity and droplet-generation behavior were also assessed. Finite-element simulations showed enhanced interfacial slip at wrinkled walls relative to flat walls under matched driving and captured orientation effects on near-wall kinematics. The approach circumvents hydrophobic-recovery and coating-compatibility issues commonly encountered with silane-treated PDMS. Therefore, the results establish mechanically engineered surface wrinkles as an effective, chemical-free means to tune hydrophobicity in microfluidic devices, with direct relevance to droplet-based assays and lab-on-a-chip platforms.
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