Meng Qing'an, Zhou Junjie, Pang Jie, Wang Luofeng, Yang Kaicheng, Li Zhangcan, Xie Jiayu
College of Aviation Engineering, Civil Aviation Flight University of China, Chengdu 641419, China.
Biomimetics (Basel). 2025 May 8;10(5):298. doi: 10.3390/biomimetics10050298.
Natural organisms have evolved highly sophisticated mechanisms for managing water across a broad range of environmental conditions, from arid to highly humid regions. Among these mechanisms, directional liquid transport (DLT) is particularly noteworthy, as it relies on structural designs that facilitate the spontaneous movement of liquids along predefined pathways without the need for external energy sources. The increasing interest in DLT systems is primarily driven by their potential applications in fields such as microfluidics, water harvesting, and biomedical engineering. The focus on DLT is motivated by its ability to inspire efficient, energy-independent liquid transport technologies, which hold significant promise for both fundamental research and practical applications. Notably, wedge-shaped DLT systems have emerged as a particularly promising area of study due to their advantages in terms of manufacturability, liquid collection efficiency, and scalability-attributes that are essential for industrial deployment. This review seeks to explore natural wedge-based DLT systems, providing an in-depth analysis of their underlying principles and their potential for engineering replication. The discussion includes examples from nature, such as desert beetles and spider silk, and explores the theoretical mechanisms governing these systems, including the role of surface energy gradients and Laplace pressure. Additionally, the review highlights advanced fabrication techniques, such as photolithography and laser micromachining, which are crucial for the development of these systems in practical applications.
自然生物体已经进化出高度复杂的机制，以在从干旱到高湿度地区的广泛环境条件下管理水分。在这些机制中，定向液体传输（DLT）尤为值得关注，因为它依赖于有助于液体沿预定路径自发移动而无需外部能源的结构设计。对DLT系统兴趣的日益增加主要是由其在微流体、集水和生物医学工程等领域的潜在应用所推动的。对DLT的关注源于其激发高效、无需能源的液体传输技术的能力，这对基础研究和实际应用都具有重大前景。值得注意的是，楔形DLT系统因其在可制造性、液体收集效率和可扩展性方面的优势——这些都是工业部署必不可少的属性——而成为一个特别有前途的研究领域。本综述旨在探索基于自然楔形的DLT系统，深入分析其潜在原理及其工程复制潜力。讨论包括来自自然界的例子，如沙漠甲虫和蜘蛛丝，并探讨了支配这些系统的理论机制，包括表面能梯度和拉普拉斯压力的作用。此外，该综述还强调了先进的制造技术，如光刻和激光微加工，这些技术对于这些系统在实际应用中的开发至关重要。
