Prof. Jinkee Lee Developed a 3D Liquid Transporting Diode Surface Using Nature-inspired Technology 

Sungkyunkwan University (President Dong Ryeol Shin) announces that Prof. Jinkee Lee in School of Mechanical Engineering & Institute of Quantum Biophysics has developed a 3D liquid transporting diode surface using nature-inspired technology (first author Dr. MinKi Lee). This liquid transporting system has advantages for easy fabrication, cost-effectiveness, high scalability and shows the world's highest performance with novel 3D structure.

When a liquid droplet is dispensed on the surface, the liquid transports uni-directionally by the passive capillary control from the structures of the liquid diode. Up to now, diode surfaces have been manufactured using lithography processes or 3D printer, which have drawbacks of limited size with complicated manufacturing processes, and also they show low liquid transport performance. Many researchers have been investigating the diode surface but it is quite challenging to increase both the transport performance and the ease of surface manufacturing, simultaneously.

[Image 1] Prof. Jinkee Lee, Dr. MinKi Lee

Prof. Jinkee Lee developed nature-inspired diode surface, which mimics the surface from nature such as horned lizard and pitcher plant. The 3D diode surface has a wedge structure consisting of repeating saw-like V-grooves. This surface utilizes the capillary force generated by the 3D topographical shape that pins liquid at one size and makes it flow to the other side. The fabrication of 3D diode surface is easy, fast, cost-effective and scalable because it is processed simply using a laser cutter.

Professor Jinkee Lee said, “This 3D water transport diode surface can be applied as an original technology applying to microfluidic diagnostic chips, material synthesis, heat transfer enhancement and even fog collection because of its superior performance and easy fabrication.”

 [Image 2] Powerless standalone microfluidic transport system using surface structures of plants and animals

This study was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF; 2020R1A2C3010568) and the Korea Environment Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI; 2019002790003), and was published online on March 20, 2021 in Advanced Functional Materials (IF=16.836).

※ Title of paper: “Enhanced Liquid Transport on a Highly Scalable, Cost‐Effective, and Flexible 3D Topological Liquid Capillary Diode”