GS-3
6.NEW TECHNOLOGY USEFUL IN WATER TRANSPORTATION & SELF-CLEANING
Scientists develop gold microstructure substrate with tunable wettability useful in water transportation & self-cleaning.
IMPORTANT POINTS:
- Scientists have developed a gold microstructure substrate with the ability to repel water as well as bubbles with tunable wettability, which can be used in designing microfluidic devices, biosensors and useful in water transportation and self-cleaning.
- A scientist and his group from the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), have developed a substrate exhibiting morphological gradient that helps one to tune the wettability because of surface energy change.
- The morphological gradient in the substrate ranges from domes to elliptical holes.
- These studies would be useful in designing microfluidic devices, biosensors, and water transportation.
WHAT IS WETTABILITY?
- Wettability, or the ability of a liquid to maintain contact with a solid surface, is an important property in surface and interface science.
- Its influence is seen in many biochemical processes, sensing, microfluidics, water transportation, self-cleaning, industrial processes.
- Tunable wettability results from tunability in surface energy of the substrate, which can be utilized to regulate the direction of flow in water transportation and self-cleaning applications.
SOURCE: PIB