Electrowetting of sessile drops on soft dielectric elastomer films

Microfluidics and Nanofluidics volume 21, Article number: 48 (2017) Cite this article

Abstract

The interconnection between the variation of elasticity of a dielectric film and the wetting of a sessile drop on the same, under an applied electrical voltage, remains unclear. Here, we report the electrowetting-on-dielectric behaviour of sessile drops on films of varying elasticities, fabricated using a dielectric elastomer. Our results reveal that the elasticity of the dielectric elastomer film indeed provides an additional control over the droplet electrowetting behaviour. The extent of electrowetting reduces with decreasing elasticity of the dielectric elastomer film. This influence of the variation of the dielectric film elasticity on droplet electrowetting is best understood from free energy-based consideration, leading to a test of the applicability of the classical Lippmann–Young model. We also provide a description of the displacement profiles for the deformation of a soft dielectric film surface, due to the interfacial electro-elastocapillary interaction triggered by the electrowetted sessile droplet. The understandings developed here can be of profound importance in various emerging applications, ranging from the development of soft liquid lenses to controlled drug delivery.

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Acknowledgements

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India [Sanction Letter no.: IIT/SRIC/ATDC/CEM/2013-14/118, dated 19.12.2013].

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721 302, India

    Ranabir Dey & Suman Chakraborty

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721 302, India

    Sunando DasGupta

  3. Advanced Technology Development Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, West Bengal, 721 302, India

    Sunando DasGupta & Suman Chakraborty

Authors
  1. Ranabir Dey
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  2. Sunando DasGupta
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  3. Suman Chakraborty
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Correspondence to Suman Chakraborty.

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Dey, R., DasGupta, S. & Chakraborty, S. Electrowetting of sessile drops on soft dielectric elastomer films. Microfluid Nanofluid 21, 48 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10404-017-1882-y

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Keywords

  • Electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD)
  • Droplets
  • Dielectric elastomer
  • Elasticity
  • Elastocapillarity
  • Electro-elastocapillarity
  • Soft surfaces
  • Wetting