Autonomous Noncoalescence among Water Drops through Nanopore-Induced Self-Warping

Abstract

A pervasive phenomenon in nature and technology events is that the interaction among water-based volumes leads to coalescence and thus losing their individuality. Herein, we report a framework in which the opposite can be true: the interaction between adjacent water droplets on a nanoporous thin-film surface spontaneously manifests an autonomous noncoalescing action to drive the topographic emergence of macrostructural organization, based in the hydraulic control exerted by water self-confined in nanopores (avoiding the need to resort to chemical approaches for aqueous partitions). Accordingly, we also introduce strategies to perform the shaping of water through water to tailor droplet contact area shapes and local interdroplet dosing of regents. The observation of crowded water drops warping rather than coalescing reveals novel fluid manipulation with high spatial resolution and offers new possibilities of broad applicability ranging from artificial cell compartmentalization, biochemical analysis, and thermal management to hydro-smart surface innovation.