Apparatus and methods employing liquid-impregnated surfaces

The article of any one of the preceding claims, wherein Sow(v)<0.

The article of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the impregnating liquid comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of silicone oil, propylene glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, perfluoropolyether (PFPE), polyalphaolefin (PAO), synthetic hydrocarbon cooligomer, fluorinated polysiloxane, propylene glycol, tetrachloroethylene (perchloroethylene), phenyl isothiocyanate (phenyl mustard oil), bromobenzene, iodobenzene, α-bromotoluene, alpha-chloronaphthalene, alpha-bromonaphthalene, acetylene tetrabromide, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (BMIm), tribromohydrin (1,2,3-tribromopropane), ethylene dibromide, carbon disulfide, bromoform, methylene iodide (diiodomethane), stanolax, Squibb's liquid petrolatum, p-bromotoluene, monobromobenzene, perchloroethylene, carbon disulfide, phenyl mustard oil, monoiodobenzene, alpha-monochloro-naphthalene, acetylene tetrabromide, aniline, butyl alcohol, isoamyl alcohol, n-heptyl alcohol, cresol, oleic acid, linoleic acid, and amyl phthalate.

The article of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid features comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of a polymeric solid, a ceramic solid, a fluorinated solid, an intermetallic solid, and a composite solid.

The article of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid features comprise a chemically modified surface, coated surface, surface with a bonded monolayer.

The article of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid features define at least one member selected from the group consisting of pores, cavities, wells, interconnected pores, and interconnected cavities.

The article of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid features comprise at least one member selected from the group consisting of posts, nanoneedles, nanograss, substantially spherical particles, and amorphous particles.

The article of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid features have a rough surface (e.g., the solid features have a surface roughness>50 nm, >100 nm, e.g., and also <1 μm).

The article of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the liquid-impregnated surface is configured such that water droplets contacting the surface are not pinned or impaled on the surface and have a roll-off angle α of less than 40°.

An article comprising an interior surface, said article being at least partially enclosed and adapted for containing or transferring a fluid of viscosity μ1, wherein the interior surface comprises a liquid-impregnated surface, said liquid-impregnated surface comprising an impregnating liquid and a matrix of solid features spaced sufficiently close to stably contain the impregnating liquid therebetween or therewithin, wherein the impregnating liquid comprises water (having viscosity μ2).

An article comprising a liquid-impregnated surface, said surface comprising an impregnating liquid and a matrix of solid features spaced sufficiently close to stably contain the impregnating liquid therebetween or therewithin, wherein one or both of the following holds:

• (i) 0<φ≦0.25, where φ is a representative fraction of the projected surface area of the liquid-impregnated surface corresponding to non-submerged solid (i.e., non-submerged by the impregnating liquid—can be “non-submerged” and still in contact with the non-vapor phase external to the surface) at equilibrium (e.g., where equilibrium can encompass pseudo-equilibrium);
• and
• (ii) Soe(v)<0, where Soe(v) is spreading coefficient, defined as γev−γeo−γov, where γ is the interfacial tension between the two phases designated by subscripts, said subscripts selected from e, v, and o, where e is a non-vapor phase (e.g., liquid or semi-solid) external to the surface and different from the impregnating liquid, v is vapor phase external to the surface (e.g., air), and o is the impregnating liquid.