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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Guanqi Wang, Dr Jonathan McDonough, Dr Vladimir Zivkovic
This is the authors' accepted manuscript of an article that has been published in its final definitive form by Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 2021.
For re-use rights please refer to the publisher's terms and conditions.
When a liquid is dropped on a surface significantly hotter than the liquid’s boiling point, a vapour film will form beneath the droplet creating an insulation layer sufficient enough to prevent the droplet from rapidly boiling. This phenomenon is known as the Leidenfrost effect, and enables droplets to survive for up to several minutes before fully evaporating. Solids are similarly able to levitate due to sublimation. Furthermore, a liquid droplet placed on a heated flat surface moves randomly, but on a ratcheted substrate, will self-propel and move unidirectionally along the ratchets. Such a system with no other external energy fields applied is designated a Leidenfrost self-propulsion device, first introduced by Linke et al. Given the ability of such an arrangement to effectively convert thermal energy into kinetic energy, numerous studies have subsequently attempted to understand and refine the control of motion of the levitated droplets/solids. This review addresses the fundamental understanding of this ‘heat-to-motion’ mechanism, where the main focus is conversion of thermal energy into kinetic energy through the unique Leidenfrost self-propulsion mechanism. Potential applications of Leidenfrost self-propulsion devices are also discussed, including a brief outlook for the future of this research field.
Author(s): Wang G, McDonough JR, Zivkovic V, Long T, Wang S
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: Advanced Materials Interfaces
Year: 2021
Volume: 8
Issue: 2
Print publication date: 22/01/2021
Online publication date: 18/11/2020
Acceptance date: 21/09/2020
Date deposited: 30/10/2020
ISSN (electronic): 2196-7350
Publisher: Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA
URL: https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202001249
DOI: 10.1002/admi.202001249
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