Wang Yulei, Yan Xue, Liu Jefferson Zhe, Wang Yuxiang
School of Electrical Engineering, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia.
Langmuir. 2025 Jan 14;41(1):739-744. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c04031. Epub 2025 Jan 5.
Directional wetting of liquids on solid surfaces is crucial for numerous applications. However, the impact of physical modifications on near-superhydrophilic cellulose has received limited attention as it is widely considered unfeasible. In this study, we present a previously unreported and simple but effective mechanism of directional wetting induced purely by physical modifications on pristine cellulose surfaces. By using molecular dynamics simulations, we unveil that a wedge-like surface roughness drives anisotropic water spreading, contrasting with the conventional understanding of uniform wetting on strong hydrophilic cellulose surfaces. This wedge-induced directional wetting occurs without any chemical alterations, showcasing the ability of the physical topography alone to control liquid dynamics. Our findings not only provide new fundamental insights into manipulating wetting behavior on naturally hydrophilic surfaces but also highlight a transformative approach to designing cellulose-based materials with tailored fluid flow properties for diverse applications.
液体在固体表面的定向润湿对众多应用至关重要。然而，物理改性对近超亲水纤维素的影响受到的关注有限，因为人们普遍认为这是不可行的。在本研究中，我们提出了一种此前未报道的、简单但有效的机制，即通过对原始纤维素表面进行物理改性来诱导定向润湿。通过分子动力学模拟，我们揭示出楔形表面粗糙度会驱动水的各向异性铺展，这与传统上对强亲水性纤维素表面均匀润湿的理解形成对比。这种由楔形诱导的定向润湿在没有任何化学变化的情况下发生，展示了仅靠物理形貌就能控制液体动力学的能力。我们的发现不仅为操纵天然亲水表面上的润湿行为提供了新的基础见解，还突出了一种变革性方法，即设计具有定制流体流动特性的纤维素基材料以用于各种应用。
