Manipulated wettability of a superhydrophobic quartz crystal microbalance through electrowetting

Esmeryan, Karekin, McHale, Glen, Trabi, Christophe, Geraldi, Nicasio and Newton, Michael (2013) Manipulated wettability of a superhydrophobic quartz crystal microbalance through electrowetting. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 46 (34). p. 345307. ISSN 0022-3727

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Official URL: http://iopscience.iop.org/0022-3727/46/34/345307/

Abstract

The liquid phase response of quartz crystal microbalances (QCM) with a thin coating (~9 µm) of epoxy resin with and without a carbon nanoparticles top layer is reported. The nanoparticles convert the epoxy surface to a superhydrophobic one with a high static contact angle (~151º-155º) and low contact angle hysteresis (~1º-3.7º) where droplets of water are in the suspended Cassie-Baxter state. The frequency decrease of the fully immersed QCM with the superhydrophobic surface is less than with only epoxy layer, thus indicating a decoupling of the QCM response. A wettability transition to a liquid penetrating into the surface roughness state (for droplets a high contact angle hysteresis Wenzel state) was triggered using a molarity of ethanol droplet test (MED) and electrowetting; the MED approach caused some surface damage. The electrowetting induced transition caused a frequency decrease of 739 Hz at a critical voltage of ~100 V compared to the QCM in air. This critical voltage correlates to a contact angle decrease of 26º and a high contact angle hysteresis state in droplet experiments. These experiments provide a proof-of-concept that QCMs can be used to sense wetting state transitions and not only mass attachments or changes in viscosity-density products of liquids.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: electrowetting, superhydrophobic, slip, QCM, quartz crystal microbalance, acoustic wave
Subjects: F200 Materials Science
F300 Physics
H600 Electronic and Electrical Engineering
Department: Faculties > Engineering and Environment > Mathematics, Physics and Electrical Engineering
Related URLs:
Depositing User: Glen McHale
Date Deposited: 02 Jan 2014 09:54
Last Modified: 17 Dec 2023 14:49
URI: https://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/14937

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