2014/06/12 by Guido Bolognesi, Bolognesi, Guido, Cécile Cottin-Bizonne +4
Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Adhesion, Friction, and Surface Interactions #FOS: Physical sciences #Fluid Dynamics (physics.flu-dyn) #Lattice Boltzmann Simulation Studies #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #Surface Modification and Superhydrophobicity #cond-mat.soft #physics.flu-dyn
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1406.3193
arxiv created 2014/06/12 · openalex publication_date 2014/06/12 · arxiv updated 2014/06/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
A full characterization of the water flow past a silicon superhydrophobic surface with longitudinal micro-grooves enclosed in a microfluidic device is presented. Fluorescence microscopy images of the flow seeded with fluorescent passive tracers were digitally processed to measure both the velocity field and the position and shape of the liquid-air interfaces at the superhydrophobic surface. The simultaneous access to the meniscus and velocity profiles allows us to put under a strict test the no-shear boundary condition at the liquid-air interface. Surprisingly, our measurements show that air pockets in the surface cavities can sustain non-zero interfacial shear stresses, thereby hampering the friction reduction capabilities of the surface. The effects of the meniscus position and shape as well as of the liquid-air interfacial friction on the surface performances are separately assessed and quantified.