Related papers: Adhesion Control through Electric Field-Induced Wa…
Developing adhesives whose bond strength can be externally manipulated is a topic of considerable interest for practical and scientific purposes. In this work, we propose a method of controlling the adhesion force of a regular fluid, such…
We measure and model electroadhesion across multi-asperity silicon interfaces with nanometer scale roughness. When electrically biased, our naturally oxidized silicon interfaces display a leakage current consistent with the Fowler-Nordheim…
Electroadhesion has emerged as a viable technique for displaying tactile feedback on touch surfaces, particularly capacitive touchscreens found in smartphones and tablets. This involves applying a voltage signal to the conductive layer of…
Molecular electronics is a fascinating area of research with the ability to tune device properties by a chemical tailoring of organic molecules. However, molecular electronics devices often suffer from dispersion and lack of reproducibility…
A key challenge in performing experiments with microparticles is controlling their adhesion to substrates. For example, levitation of a microparticle initially resting on a surface requires overcoming the surface adhesion forces to deliver…
The water/electrode interface under an applied bias potential is a challenging out-of-equilibrium phenomenon, which is difficult to accurately model at the atomic scale. In this study, we employ a combined approach of Density Functional…
Adhesion control at the interface of two surfaces is crucial in many applications. Examples are the design of micro and nanodevices such as microfuidics devices, biochips, and electronic sensors. Adhesion at the interface of two materials…
Interfaces between a water droplet and a network of pillars produce eventually superhydrophobic, self-cleaning properties. Considering the surface fraction of the surface in interaction with water, it is possible to tune precisely the…
Contact hysteresis between sliding interfaces is a widely observed phenomenon from macro- to nano- scale sliding interfaces. Most of such studies are done using an atomic force microscope (AFM) where the sliding speed is a few {\mu}m/s.…
We present an EOM-CCSD based QM/MM study on the electron attachment process to cytosine, solvated in water. The microhydration studies cannot capture the effect of bulk water environment on the electron attachment process and one need to…
We study the interaction of two parallel rigid cylinders on the surface of a thin elastic film supported on a pool of liquid. The excess energy of the surface due to the curvature of the stretched film induces attraction of the cylinders…
We report the mechanically induced formation of a silicon-hydrogen covalent bond and its application in engineering nanoelectronic devices. We show that using the tip of a non-contact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM), a single hydrogen atom…
Insects, pick-and-place manufacturing, engineered adhesives, and soft robots employ soft materials to stick to surfaces even in the presence of roughness. Experiments show that the force required for making contact is lower than for…
Engineering technologies frequently draw inspiration from nature, as exemplified in bio-inspired adhesive surfaces. These surfaces present textures adorned by pillars, mimicking the topography found on the pads of certain animals renowned…
Thermodynamics tells us to expect underwater contact between two hydrophobic surfaces to result in stronger adhesion compared to two hydrophilic surfaces. However, presence of water changes not only energetics, but also the dynamic process…
Control of the swelling, chemical functionalization, and adhesivity of hydrogels are finding new applications in a wide range of material systems. We investigate experimentally the effect of adsorbed particles on hydrogels on the depinning…
We derive a model for voltage-induced wetting, so-called electrowetting, from the principle of virtual displacement. Our model includes the possibility that charge is trapped in or on the wetted surface. Experimentally, we show reversible…
Recent experimental and computational studies have demonstrated that nanoconfinement profoundly alters the phase behavior of water, facilitating complex phase transitions at pressures and temperatures far lower than typically observed in…
The effects of contact-line pinning are well-known in macroscopic systems, but are only just beginning to be explored at the microscale in colloidal suspensions. We use digital holography to capture the fast three-dimensional dynamics of…
A mechanistic understanding of adhesion in soft materials is critical in the fields of transportation (tires, gaskets, seals), biomaterials, micro-contact printing, and soft robotics. Measurements have long demonstrated that the apparent…