This book introduces the fabrication of superhydrophobic surfaces and some unique droplet behaviors during condensation and melting phase change on superhydrophobic surfaces, and discusses the relationship between droplet behavior and surface wettability. The contents in this book, which are all research hotspots currently, shall not only bring new insights into the physics of condensation and icing/frosting phenomena, but also provide theoretical support to solve the heat transfer deterioration, the ice/frost accretion and other related engineering problems. This book is for the majority of graduate students and researchers in related scientific areas.

Micro- and Nano-Bionic Surfaces: Biomimetics, Interface Energy Field Effects, and Applications synthesizes the latest research in bio-inspired surfaces and devices for tactile and flow field perception. The book provides solutions to common problems related to flow field/tactile perception, intelligent MEMS sensors, smart materials, material removal methods, cell/particle control methods, and micro-nano robot technology. With a heavy emphasis on applications throughout, the book starts by providing insights into biomimetic device design, outlining strategies readers can adopt for various engineering applications. From there, it introduces the controlling methods of smart materials, controlling methods from external energy input, and more. Sections demonstrate how to solve problems of high efficiency, high quality, and low damage material removal for metals, composites, soft tissues, and other materials by applying bionic wave-motion surface characteristics. The latest theoretical and technical developments in field control methods applied to biological interfaces are also discussed, and the book concludes with a chapter on fabrication strategies to synthesize micro/nano functional particles based on bio-templates. - Provides an overview on the latest research in bio-inspired surfaces and devices for tactile and flow-field perception - Introduces techniques for characterizing different bionic surfaces and how to use energy fields analysis to treat different bionic surface and interface problems - Discusses the latest theoretical and experimental developments in field control and their applications in the biomedical field - Outlines fabrication methods and assembly and alignment processes of micro-/nano-functional particles based on microorganism templates

This unique book presents ways to mitigate the disastrous effects of snow/ice accumulation and discusses the mechanisms of new coatings deicing technologies. The strategies currently used to combat ice accumulation problems involve chemical, mechanical or electrical approaches. These are expensive and labor intensive, and the use of chemicals raises serious environmental concerns. The availability of truly icephobic surfaces or coatings will be a big boon in preventing the devastating effects of ice accumulation. Currently, there is tremendous interest in harnessing nanotechnology in rendering surfaces icephobic or in devising icephobic surface materials and coatings, and all signals indicate that such interest will continue unabated in the future. As the key issue regarding icephobic materials or coatings is their durability, much effort is being spent in developing surface materials or coatings which can be effective over a long period. With the tremendous activity in this arena, there is strong hope that in the not too distant future, durable surface materials or coatings will come to fruition. This book contains 20 chapters by subject matter experts and is divided into three parts— Part 1: Fundamentals of Ice Formation and Characterization; Part 2: Ice Adhesion and Its Measurement; and Part 3: Methods to Mitigate Ice Adhesion. The topics covered include: factors influencing the formation, adhesion and friction of ice; ice nucleation on solid surfaces; physics of ice nucleation and growth on a surface; condensation frosting; defrosting properties of structured surfaces; relationship between surface free energy and ice adhesion to surfaces; metrology of ice adhesion; test methods for quantifying ice adhesion strength to surfaces; interlaboratory studies of ice adhesion strength; mechanisms of surface icing and deicing technologies; icephobicities of superhydrophobic surfaces; anti-icing using microstructured surfaces; icephobic surfaces: features and challenges; bio-inspired anti-icing surface materials; durability of anti-icing coatings; durability of icephobic coatings; bio-inspired icephobic coatings; protection from ice accretion on aircraft; and numerical modeling and its application to inflight icing.

Set IV is a new addition to the previous Sets I, II and III. It contains 23 invited chapters from international specialists on the topics of numerical modeling of pulsating heat pipes and of slug flows with evaporation; lattice Boltzmann modeling of pool boiling; fundamentals of boiling in microchannels and microfin tubes, CO2 and nanofluids; testing and modeling of micro-two-phase cooling systems for electronics; and various special topics (flow separation in microfluidics, two-phase sensors, wetting of anisotropic surfaces, ultra-compact heat exchangers, etc.). The invited authors are leading university researchers and well-known engineers from leading corporate research laboratories (ABB, IBM, Nokia Bell Labs). Numerous 'must read' chapters are also included here for the two-phase community. Set IV constitutes a 'must have' engineering and research reference together with previous Sets I, II and III for thermal engineering researchers and practitioners.

Nanodroplets, the basis of complex and advanced nanostructures such as quantum rings, quantum dots and quantum dot clusters for future electronic and optoelectronic materials and devices, have attracted the interdisciplinary interest of chemists, physicists and engineers. This book combines experimental and theoretical analyses of nanosized droplets which reveal many attractive properties. Coverage includes nanodroplet synthesis, structure, unique behaviors and their nanofabrication, including chapters on focused ion beam, atomic force microscopy, molecular beam epitaxy and the "vapor-liquid- solid" route. Particular emphasis is given to the behavior of metallic nanodroplets, water nanodroplets and nanodroplets in polymer and metamaterial nanocomposites. The contributions of leading scientists and their research groups will provide readers with deeper insight into the chemical and physical mechanisms, properties, and potential applications of various nanodroplets.

Building on advances in miniaturization and soft matter, surface tension effects are a major key to the development of soft/fluidic microrobotics. Benefiting from scaling laws, surface tension and capillary effects can enable sensing, actuation, adhesion, confinement, compliance, and other structural and functional properties necessary in micro- and nanosystems. Various applications are under development: microfluidic and lab-on-chip devices, soft gripping and manipulation of particles, colloidal and interfacial assemblies, fluidic/droplet mechatronics. The capillary action is ubiquitous in drops, bubbles and menisci, opening a broad spectrum of technological solutions and scientific investigations. Identified grand challenges to the establishment of fluidic microrobotics include mastering the dynamics of capillary effects, controlling the hysteresis arising from wetting and evaporation, improving the dispensing and handling of tiny droplets, and developing a mechatronic approach for the control and programming of surface tension effects. In this Special Issue of Micromachines, we invite contributions covering all aspects of microscale engineering relying on surface tension. Particularly, we welcome contributions on fundamentals or applications related to: Drop-botics: fluidic or surface tension-based micro/nanorobotics: capillary manipulation, gripping, and actuation, sensing, folding, propulsion and bio-inspired solutions; Control of surface tension effects: surface tension gradients, active surfactants, thermocapillarity, electrowetting, elastocapillarity; Handling of droplets, bubbles and liquid bridges: dispensing, confinement, displacement, stretching, rupture, evaporation; Capillary forces: modelling, measurement, simulation; Interfacial engineering: smart liquids, surface treatments; Interfacial fluidic and capillary assembly of colloids and devices; Biological applications of surface tension, including lab-on-chip and organ-on-chip systems.