Single Mobile Micro Droplet-Particle Pairs Spatially Captured by Macro Host Droplets on a Superhydrophobic Surface

Figure 1

Images of small condensed micro water droplets (“secondary droplet”) resting on (adhered) hydrophobic micro “particles” forming a “particle-droplet pair” which is spatially confined (at the liquid-air interface) to a larger macro droplet (“host drop”). The process occurs spontaneously from condensation conditions occurring on the particle-seeded superhydrophobic surface. (a) Optical image showing numerous particle-droplet pairs with droplet sizes typically around 30 μm in diameter. (b) Higher resolution image of 3 secondary droplets residing on individual particles. (c) A single secondary droplet adhered to a particle (forming the particle-droplet pair) showing the droplet nucleation site at the top of the particle.

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