Crack‐Free, Soft Wrinkles Enable Switchable Anisotropic Wetting
Abstract
Soft skin layers on elastomeric substrates are demonstrated to support mechano‐responsive wrinkle patterns that do not exhibit cracking under applied strain. Soft fluoropolymer skin layers on pre‐strained poly(dimethylsiloxane) slabs achieved crack‐free surface wrinkling at high strain regimes not possible by using conventional stiff skin layers. A side‐by‐side comparison between the soft and hard skin layers after multiple cycles of stretching and releasing revealed that the soft skin layer enabled dynamic control over wrinkle topography without cracks or delamination. We systematically characterized the evolution of wrinkle wavelength, amplitude, and orientation as a function of tensile strain to resolve the crack‐free structural transformation. We demonstrated that wrinkled surfaces can guide water spreading along wrinkle orientation, and hence switchable, anisotropic wetting was realized.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Apr 28, 2017
- Source ID
- 10.1002/anie.201701968
Entities
People
- Dongjoon Rhee
- Teri W. Odom
- Won‐kyu Lee
Organizations
- National Science Foundation
- Northwestern University
- Office of Naval Research