Lateral Size Scaling Effect during Discontinuous Dewetting

Abstract

AbstractDiscontinuous dewetting on a prepatterned surface with regions of different dewettability is an attractive way to assemble a material into 2D microstructures with a predefined lateral size and spatial distribution on a surface. However, few studies have examined the aspect ratio or contact angles of the microstructures. In this Communication, it is found that the static contact angle changes with the lateral size of droplets and variation relationship between them shows two phases: an exponential decrease phase when lateral size is <80 µm, and a minimum plateau phase when lateral size is >80 µm, which is defined as lateral size scaling effect. After dynamically studying the droplet generation, it is proposed that liquid retraction after liquid thin film ruptures is responsible for the lateral size scaling effect. The effect of liquid viscosity and sliding speed on the lateral size scaling effect is also assessed and the lateral size scaling effect in droplet evaporation models is investigated. Finally, differently oriented single metal‐organic framework crystal arrays based on the lateral size scaling effect are successfully fabricated. This work demonstrates a novel 2.5D top‐down strategy to guide bottom‐up assembly.