2026-10-11T21:46:07Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33668920 2026-09-12T14:29:16Z category_1 category_146 category_915 category_16 category_21 category_873 category_46 category_133 portal_63 item_type_2 month_year_09_2026

Trapezoidal Microstructure-Mediated Antagonistic Regulation of Liquid-Bridge Capillary Force and Wetting Stability Liyang Huang (3755479) Pengtao Cui (24833905) Yi Wang (32470) Xueli Chen (400644) Guannan Lei (24833908) Junsheng Zhao (556529) Yanlian Liu (24833911) Bo Zhang (6559) Biophysics Space Science Physical Sciences not elsewhere classified Physiology Biotechnology Chemical Sciences not elsewhere classified Immunology Plant Biology vof simulations implemented mediated antagonistic regulation interfacial engineering systems exert antagonistic regulation bridge wetting states bridge capillary forces bridge capillary force unified analytical model bridge wetting stability bridge mechanical behavior significant liquid retention bridge behavior unified framework state stability work establishes whereas wenzel wenzel ), trapezoidal microstructure top width theoretical predictions textured surfaces simulation results results reveal quantitative mechanism opposite trend microstructured surfaces microdroplet manipulation geometric parameters droplet manipulation breakup control bottom width asymmetric pinning ansys fluent Precise control of liquid-bridge mechanical behavior and rupture is foundational to microdroplet manipulation in microfluidics and MEMS. However, the quantitative mechanism by which solid-surface microstructures regulate liquid-bridge wetting states, liquid-bridge capillary forces, and post-rupture adhesion has not been clarified. Based on the Gibbs free energy minimization principle, we derive a unified analytical model of the liquid-bridge capillary force that incorporates three typical wetting states (Young, Cassie, and Wenzel), which is evaluated through comparison with VOF simulations implemented in ANSYS Fluent. The results reveal that the geometric parameters of trapezoidal microstructures (top width, bottom width, height, and spacing) exert antagonistic regulation on liquid-bridge wetting stability and liquid-bridge capillary force: increasing the top width and height of microstructures or decreasing the bottom width and representative unit size enhances Cassie-state stability while modulating the liquid-bridge capillary force in an opposite trend. Cassie-state liquid bridges rupture at the solid–liquid interface without residual droplets, whereas Wenzel-state bridges undergo central rupture with significant liquid retention. Asymmetric pinning of the liquid–gas interface on microstructured surfaces is identified as the primary factor causing minor discrepancies between theoretical predictions and simulation results. This work establishes a unified framework for liquid-bridge behavior on textured surfaces and offers preliminary design insights for droplet manipulation, transport, and breakup control in microfluidic and interfacial engineering systems. 2026-09-12T00:00:00Z Dataset Media 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6c02915.s005 https://figshare.com/articles/media/Trapezoidal_Microstructure-Mediated_Antagonistic_Regulation_of_Liquid-Bridge_Capillary_Force_and_Wetting_Stability/33668920 CC BY-NC 4.0