Advances in small droplets manipulation on bio-inspired slippery surfaces: Chances and Challenges

Abstract

The manipulation of droplets with non-destructive, efficient and high-precision features is of great importance in a number of fields, including microfluidics and biomedicine. The stable lubrication layer of bioinspired slippery surfaces exhibits robust stability and self-healing properties in the presence of external disturbances, as well as low contact line friction for droplets. Consequently, research into the manipulation of droplets on slippery surfaces has continued to make progress. This paper presents a review of the methods of droplet manipulation on bioinspired slippery surfaces. It begins by outlining the basic theory of slippery surfaces and the mechanism of droplet motion on slippery surfaces. Furthermore, droplet manipulation methods on slippery surfaces are classified into active and passive approaches based on the presence of external stimuli (e.g., heat, light, electricity, and magnetism). Finally, an outlook is provided on the current challenges facing droplet manipulation on slippery surfaces, and potential solution ideas are presented.