Droplet Area Research Articles

Functional omics of ORP7 in primary endothelial cells

BackgroundMany members of the oxysterol-binding protein-related protein (ORP) family have been characterized in detail over the past decades, but the lipid transport and other functions of ORP7 still remain elusive. What is known about ORP7 points toward an endoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane-localized protein, which also interacts with GABA type A receptor-associated protein like 2 (GABARAPL2) and unlipidated Microtubule-associated proteins 1A/1B light chain 3B (LC3B), suggesting a further autophagosomal/lysosomal association. Functional roles of ORP7 have been suggested in cholesterol efflux, hypercholesterolemia, and macroautophagy. We performed a hypothesis-free multi-omics analysis of chemical ORP7 inhibition utilizing transcriptomics and lipidomics as well as proximity biotinylation interactomics to characterize ORP7 functions in a primary cell type, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Moreover, assays on angiogenesis, cholesterol efflux, and lipid droplet quantification were conducted.ResultsPharmacological inhibition of ORP7 leads to an increase in gene expression related to lipid metabolism and inflammation, while genes associated with cell cycle and cell division were downregulated. Lipidomic analysis revealed increases in ceramides and lysophosphatidylcholines as well as saturated and monounsaturated triacylglycerols. Significant decreases were seen in all cholesteryl ester and in some unsaturated triacylglycerol species, compatible with the detected decrease of mean lipid droplet area. Along with the reduced lipid stores, ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 1 (ABCG1)-mediated cholesterol efflux and angiogenesis decreased. Interactomics revealed an interaction of ORP7 with AKT1, a central metabolic regulator.ConclusionsThe transcriptomics results suggest an increase in prostanoid as well as oxysterol synthesis, which could be related to the observed upregulation of proinflammatory genes. We envision that the defective angiogenesis in HUVECs subjected to ORP7 inhibition could be the result of an unfavorable plasma membrane lipid composition and/or reduced potential for cell division. To conclude, the present study suggests multifaceted functions of ORP7 in lipid homeostasis, angiogenic tube formation, and gene expression of lipid metabolism, inflammation, and cell cycle in primary endothelial cells.

Distinct Contributions of Particle Adsorption and Interfacial Compression to the Surface Pressure of a Fluid Interface.

Particle-laden interfaces stabilize emulsions and foams and can serve as a platform for multiscale materials. Favorable wetting of a particle to a fluid interface reduces the apparent interfacial tension through area replacement with a linear relationship between the apparent surface pressure and the particle area fraction. The area replacement model is widely employed, often up to particle area fraction reaching the maximum hexagonal packing. However, data directly supporting the area replacement model are limited, and the description ignores contributions from particle-particle interactions and does not describe the surface pressure during the compression of a particle-laden interface. This work reports on the direct validation of the area replacement model through the direct measurement of the adsorption energy, surface pressure, and area fraction of adsorbed particles. Experiments combining tensiometry and confocal imaging during the adsorption of colloidal particles to the oil-water interface confirm the area replacement model within the observed range of area fraction, but only when the drop area is kept constant. Results highlight the importance of keeping the droplet area constant during particle adsorption to extract the adsorbed amount from tensiometry experiments. As particles adsorb to the interface, the droplet area tends to change and compresses or expands the interface. This change in area is associated with an increase in area fraction at nearly constant surface pressure, which deviates from the area replacement model. In contrast to particle adsorption, slow compression of the fluid interface leads to a negligible change in surface pressure up to an area fraction of η ∼ 0.26 for the materials systems investigated. Increase in surface pressure during compression is due to particle-particle interactions, while compression at higher strain rates introduces additional contributions from interfacial rheology.

Gestational Diabetes-like Fuels Impair Mitochondrial Function and Long-Chain Fatty Acid Uptake in Human Trophoblasts.

In the parent, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) causes both hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia. Despite excess lipid availability, infants exposed to GDM are at risk for essential long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) deficiency. Isotope studies have confirmed less LCPUFA transfer from the parent to the fetus, but how diabetic fuels impact placental fatty acid (FA) uptake and lipid droplet partitioning is not well-understood. We evaluated the effects of high glucose conditions, high lipid conditions, and their combination on trophoblast growth, viability, mitochondrial bioenergetics, BODIPY-labeled fatty acid (FA) uptake, and lipid droplet dynamics. The addition of four carbons or one double bond to FA acyl chains dramatically affected the uptake in both BeWo and primary isolated cytotrophoblasts (CTBs). The uptake was further impacted by media exposure. The combination-exposed trophoblasts had more mitochondrial protein (p = 0.01), but impaired maximal and spare respiratory capacities (p < 0.001 and p < 0.0001), as well as lower viability (p = 0.004), due to apoptosis. The combination-exposed trophoblasts had unimpaired uptake of BODIPY C12 but had significantly less whole-cell and lipid droplet uptake of BODIPY C16, with an altered lipid droplet count, area, and subcellular localization, whereas these differences were not seen with individual high glucose or lipid exposure. These findings bring us closer to understanding how GDM perturbs active FA transport to increase the risk of adverse outcomes from placental and neonatal lipid accumulation alongside LCPUFA deficiency.

Utilizing superheated steam to prepare traditional Chinese twice-cooked pork bellies, exploring its effects on the texture and flavor of fat layers

Fat greatly impacts the overall texture and flavor of pork belly. Twice-cooked pork bellies (TPB), typically boiled and sliced before “back to pot” being stir-fried, is a classic Sichuan cuisine among stir-fried dishes. In this study, the effects of substituting conventional pan-frying (PCV) with superheated steam (SHS) technology on the sensory, texture, microstructure and flavor of the fat layers were investigated. SHS was used as an alternative to boiling (120 °C for 15, 20, 25, and 30 min), and “back to pot” stir-frying was also by SHS. TPB precooked for 25 min (P25) with SHS performed better quality characteristics than PCV, with less collagen fiber disruption and lipid droplet area, resulting in a lower hardness and higher shear force. Besides, the low-oxygen environment of SHS retarded the lipid peroxidation, showing a significantly lower MDA content than PCV. Differently, PCV exhibited more grassy and fatty flavors, while P25 exhibited a unique aroma of fruity and creamy due to its higher UFA/SFA ratios in the pre-cooking stage. Overall, the sensory scores of P25 were comparable to those of PCV (with no significant difference), revealing that SHS is expected to be applied to the industrial production of stir-fried dishes.

Effect of Inlet Pressure on the Polyurethane Spray Nozzle for Soil Cracking Improvement: Simulations using CFD Method

Rigid spray polyurethane (RSPU) was commercially used as an injection in crack walls or soil surfaces to enhance material performance, increase lifetime, and save operating costs. The limitation of the RSPU nozzle was reported as easily clogging when sprayed out to the insulation and crack surface area and the finished product was less aesthetically pleasing. In this study, the RSPU nozzle of flat fan nozzle, 180° angle (Design A), Hollow cone nozzle, 60° angle (Design B), and Full cone nozzle, 90° angle (Design C) were prepared by using the SOLIDWORKS software. The effect of different pressures for RSPU nozzle design at the ranges of 4Mpa, 5MPa, and 6MPa was examined by ANSYS FLUENT software. The velocity of the outer spray nozzle shows a significant increase with increasing inlet pressure of the RSPU nozzle. The results reveal that the highest velocity of RSPU was obtained at the Hollow cone nozzle (Design B) as compared to (Flat fan nozzle) Design A and (Full cone nozzle) Design C at 394.249 m/s at 4MPa, 442.327 m/s at 5MPa and 485.37 m/s at 6MPa, respectively. The distribution droplet area shows the Design B spray formation had wider area coverage at 60° and exhibited that the injection nozzle spray was scatted and uniform at 6MPa. RSPU shows the velocity increased, distribution droplet increased, and output volume spray was decreased at the increasing of injection pressure. Hence, in this study was suggested that the size of RSPU nozzle design must be made at the ranges of 60° to 90° of outlet nozzle to obtain a good RSPU area. In conclusion, design B is the most effective for RSPU nozzle and is useful in injection cracking and insulation materials applications.

Determination of integral characteristics of secondary atomization of fuel oil/water emulsion droplets

This research aims to identify patterns and study the characteristics of secondary atomization of fuel oil/water emulsion droplets containing specialized additives (R503V3 0.5 %, R502V1 0.5 %, and ION M 0.5 %). The ION M additive was able to increase the number of secondary fragments by 10–25 % with typical sizes of about 0.05 mm. The results showed that the use of specialized additives based on fatty acids of vegetable oils (compositions No. 3 and 4) and on a particular combination of positively and negatively charged ions (composition No. 5) with the fuel increased the efficiency of micro-explosive atomization by 28.4 %, 43.4 % and 59.8 %, respectively. With the additive based on a particular combination of positively and negatively charged ions in a fuel oil/water emulsion, the implementation of 4 technologies secondary atomization results in an almost 240-fold increase in the free surface area of droplets at a Weber number of 125. Such increase in the free surface area of droplets leads to more complete combustion of the fuel due to a larger total area of vaporization and combustion. Approximation equations were derived to predict the conditions of consistent occurrence of droplet fragmentation in all the secondary atomization regimes.

Flow behavior and characteristic parameters of droplets in counter-current mini-channel extractor

Achieving the counter-current flow in mini-channel extractor is a challenge. The formation and characteristic parameters of droplets in mini-channel counter-current extractor were systematically investigated to provide a guide for the realization and operation of counter-current extraction. A mixture of P507 diluted with sulfonated kerosene was served as dispersed phase, while 0.2 mol/L LaCl3 solution was used as continuous phase. Droplets rapidly deformed from the nearly-spherical shape to ellipsoidal shape after detaching from nozzles, eventually floated upwards as monodisperse droplets with same spacing. Sauter mean diameter of droplets decreased with the increase of superficial velocity of organic phase, yet increased with the increase of superficial velocity of aqueous phase. The specific interfacial area of droplets increased with the increasing superficial velocity of organic phase, and slightly decreased with the increasing superficial velocity of aqueous phase. The correlations of droplet characteristic parameters were established using dimensional analysis for further prediction and analysis.

Milk fat globule membrane proteins are crucial in regulating lipid digestion during simulated in vitro infant gastrointestinal digestion

Products of lipolysis released during digestion positively affect the metabolism of newborns. In contrast to the 3-layer biological membranes covering human milk (HM) fat, the lipid droplets in infant milk formula (IMF) are covered by a single membrane composed of casein and whey proteins. To reduce the differences in lipid structure between IMF and HM, studies have used milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) components such as milk polar lipids (MPL) to prepare emulsions mimicking HM fat globules However, few studies have elucidated the effect of membrane proteins (MP) on lipid digestion in infants. In this study, 3 kinds of emulsions were prepared: One with MPL as the interfaced of lipid droplets (RE-1), one with membrane protein concentrate (MPC) (RE-2) as the interface of lipid droplets, and one with both MPL and MPC (1:2) as the co-interface of lipid droplets (RE-3). The interfacial coverage of the emulsions was confirmed by measuring the contents of MPL and MPC at the lipid droplet interface, and by confocal laser scanning microscopy analyzed. By controlling the homogenization intensity, the specific surface area of lipid droplets was controlled at the same level among the 3 emulsions. The stability constants of the emulsions varied, and RE-1 was the most stable. During simulated in vitro infant gastrointestinal digestion, the amount of free fatty acids (FFA) released from the lipid droplets was significantly higher from those with MPC at the interface (RE-2, RE-3) than from that with MPL at the interface (RE-1). The amount of FFA released at the end of intestinal digestion of RE-1, RE-2, and RE-3 was 255.00 ± 3.54 µmol,328.75 ± 5.30 µmol, 298.50 ± 9.19 µmol, respectively. Compared with the lipid droplets in RE-2, those with MPL at the interface (RE-1, RE-3) released more unsaturated fatty acids (USFAs) during digestion. The emulsifying activity index was highest in RE-3 (MPL and MPC co-interface). The presence of MPL at the emulsion interface increased the release of USFAs, while the presence of MPC increased the release of FFA. These results show that both MPL and MP are indispensable in the construction of MFGM. Understanding their effects on digestion can provide new strategies for the development of infant foods.

Myofiber “Lipotoxicity” Does Not Disrupt Cellular Biophysical Properties

Obesity is associated with pathological changes in skeletal muscle that contribute to functional loss and disability. While it is unclear which specific factors cause this impairment in muscle performance, intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) within the muscle fibers, termed “lipotoxicity”, is implicated. Some studies have suggested the mechanism for this association is mitochondrial dysfunction, whereas others propose the increase in IMCL leads to structural changes within the muscle fibers. The objective of this study was to determine whether IMCL, independent of obesity, impacted active force generation and passive viscoelasticity of the myofiber sarcomere lattice. This study utilized soleus muscles from wildtype (WT) and lipodystrophic (LD) mice and calf muscle biopsies from individuals with (DPN) and without (CTL) type 2 diabetes over a range of obesity status to isolate the effects of IMCL from the effects of obesity in general. IMCL was quantified for each fiber type by co-registration of Oil Red O (ORO) stained cryosections or fluorescent BODIPY stained section and myosin heavy chain isoform stained sections. BODIPY stained sections were used with confocal microscopy to quantify individual lipid droplet metrics (average area, total number). Individual muscle fibers were isolated from soleus muscles and calf muscle biopsies and chemically permeabilized to isolate the myofibrillar lattice and were tested in a specialized system (1400A; Aurora Scientific). Active and passive forces were recorded, fit with a 3-element model, and correlated with metrics of IMCL accumulation by fiber type. LD muscle had 2-3 fold higher IMCL accumulation (p&lt;0.05) in type 2a and 2x fibers than WT quantified by ORO and BODIPY. This was due to an increase in both lipid droplet area and number. DPN muscle had ~2 fold higher IMCL accumulation (p&lt;0.05) in type 2 fibers compared with CTL. Both type 1 and type 2 fibers had significantly increased area of lipid droplets, but only in type 2 fibers was there an increase in lipid droplet number and consequently in area fraction. Despite the large accumulation of IMCL, LD permeabilized muscle fibers had no deficit in active force generation and no change in any of the 5 measures of passive viscoelasticity compared with WT. Conversely, in humans, DPN type 2 fibers had significantly lower (-18%) active force generation and both type 1 and type 2 DPN fibers had elevated resting viscosity (+5%) compared with CTL. Across human samples, active force generation was significantly correlated with average lipid droplet area (r2=0.53, p=0.04), but no other correlations were significant. This study suggests that an increase in IMCL accumulation in and of itself does not physically disrupt sarcomere contraction. Dramatic accumulation of IMCL in LD mouse fibers did not impact active or passive forces, likely due to an absence of systemic complications (obesity, advanced diabetes). Human fibers of comparable IMCL accumulation have a deficit in active force generation correlated with IMCL parameters, but we conclude this relationship is more likely correlative than causative as type 1 fibers with similar lipid droplet areas have no association between lipid droplet area and active force generation. These data suggest that while accumulation of IMCL is associated with contractile disfunction across a number of conditions, the mechanism is likely either indirect or biochemical rather than biophysical. Shriners Hospitals for Children, P30 AR074992, AR075773, AG15768, AG46927, AR072999, AR073752. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

ПРИМЕНЯЕМОСТЬ ВОДОГАЗОВЫХ ФОРСУНОК ДЛЯ ПОЖАРОТУШЕНИЯ ТОНКОРАСПЫЛЕННОЙ ВОДОЙ

The low efficiency of traditional water extinguishing systems is due to the formation of large droplets. Large droplets have a small external surface area, which causes poor heat removal from the ignition source. A large external surface area of droplets is provided by fire extinguishing systems with thinly sprayed water. They are effective in extinguishing fires at the initial stage of a fire in confined spaces and ensure the formation of droplets less than 150 microns. The analysis showed that water-gas nozzles with co-directional flows of water and gas are suitable for creating finely dispersed water with a droplet size of less than 100 microns. To ensure significant heat removal from the ignition source, the average diameter of the droplets of finely dispersed water should be less than 80 microns. A technique for determining the size of droplets when sprayed with water-gas nozzles is presented. According to the method, the calculation of the average diameter of droplets was carried out depending on the ratio of volume flow rates of gas and water. It is shown that fire extinguishing with finely sprayed water with the help of water-gas nozzles is effective at a gas pressure in front of the annular gap from 0,4 MPa to 0,6 MPa and the ratio of volumetric air flow to volumetric water flow is more than 2 000.

Emergent Properties from Three-Dimensional Assemblies of (Nano)particles in Confined Spaces.

The assembly of (nano)particles into compact hierarchical structures yields emergent properties not found in the individual constituents. The formation of these structures relies on a profound knowledge of the nanoscale interactions between (nano)particles, which are often designed by researchers aided by computational studies. These interactions have an effect when the (nano)particles are brought into close proximity, yet relying only on diffusion to reach these closer distances may be inefficient. Recently, physical confinement has emerged as an efficient methodology to increase the volume fraction of (nano)particles, rapidly accelerating the time scale of assembly. Specifically, the high surface area of droplets of one immiscible fluid into another facilitates the controlled removal of the dispersed phase, resulting in spherical, often ordered, (nano)particle assemblies. In this review, we discuss the design strategies, computational approaches, and assembly methods for (nano)particles in confined spaces and the emergent properties therein, such as trigger-directed assembly, lasing behavior, and structural photonic color. Finally, we provide a brief outlook on the current challenges, both experimental and computational, and farther afield application possibilities.

Droplet deposition behavior on the surface of wheat leaves with wind-induced vibration

Droplet impingement on leaf surfaces is a common phenomenon in the spray application process. Most impingements have focused on droplet deposition behavior on stationary leaf surfaces. However, airflow movement and auxiliary airflow during the spray application process create disturbances and generate vibrations on the leaves, which would inevitably affect the deposition conditions of droplets on leaf surfaces. A three-dimensional “droplet-leaf vibration” Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation model is constructed in this paper, and model validation and simulation tests are performed to investigate the effects of leaf vibration on droplet deposition. Experimental results reveal that when the droplet velocity is 1 m/s, with a 60° inclination angle and a vibrational angular velocity of 9 rad/s, the spreading area factor of a 200-μm droplet has the greatest increase up to a value of 1.34, and vibrational effects on the deposition behavior of the three droplet diameters demonstrate a consistent trend.Compared to stationary leaves, vibrating wheat leaves can alter the impingement behavior of droplets close to critical conditions, and vibration can also increase the sliding range for droplets. Vibration in wheat leaves can promote droplet spreading and deposition and increase the spreading area of droplets on the leaf surface. The effects of vibration on large-diameter droplets are more significant compared to small-diameter droplets, where droplet spreading and movement can be effectively enhanced. This paper shall provide a three-dimensional “droplet-leaf vibration” CFD simulation method, providing novel research ideas for the study of droplet deposition behavior on vibrating leaves.

Near-field spray atomization characteristics at the end of injection under flash-boiling and non-flash-boiling conditions

Spray at the end of injection is a significant source of soot and particle number (PN) emissions from gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines owing to poor atomization and incomplete combustion. This study aimed to understand the spray characteristics at the end stage under various engine operating conditions. The near-field spray was recorded using a back-lit optical method coupled with a signal control device, a heating system and a fuel supply device. An innovative image processing method for quantifying spray atomization characteristics at the end of spraying was developed, and more comprehensive spray atomization data, such as the droplet area, droplet number, and Sauter mean diameter (SMD), were extracted from the image. It was found that after injection, the spray area decreased and then increased again, followed by large droplet formation, which is believed to be caused by the ball bouncing. The averaged SMD decreased 49.0 % by increasing SD from −73 °C to 42 °C. During ball bouncing (approximately 0.1 ms AEOI), all SD conditions showed more droplets, and the number of droplets under slight flash boiling conditions is the most. Ball bouncing and flash boiling jointly promote the large spray structure to break into large droplets due to limited breakup. In addition, under flash boiling conditions, as the injection pressure increases from 10 MPa to 35 MPa, the averaged SMD decreases by 35.0 % due to the promoted atomization and droplet accelerated evaporation.

Impact of Exposure to a Mixture of Organophosphate Esters on Adrenal Cell Phenotype, Lipidome, and Function.

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are used primarily as flame retardants and plasticizers. Previously, we reported that adrenal cells are important targets of individual OPEs. However, real-life exposures are to complex mixtures of these chemicals. To address this, we exposed H295R human adrenal cells to varying dilutions (1/1000K to 1/3K) of a Canadian household dust-based OPE mixture for 48 hours and evaluated effects on phenotypic, lipidomic, and functional parameters. Using a high-content screening approach, we assessed phenotypic markers at mixture concentrations at which there was greater than 70% cell survival; the most striking effect of the OPE mixture was a 2.5-fold increase in the total area of lipid droplets. We then determined the response of specific lipid species to OPE exposures with novel, nontargeted lipidomic analysis of isolated lipid droplets. These data revealed that house dust OPEs induced concentration-dependent alterations in the composition of lipid droplets, particularly affecting the triglyceride, diglyceride, phosphatidylcholine, and cholesterol ester subclasses. The steroid-producing function of adrenal cells in the presence or absence of a steroidogenic stimulus, forskolin, was determined. While the production of 17β-estradiol remained unaffected, a slight decrease in testosterone production was observed after stimulation. Conversely, a 2-fold increase in both basal and stimulated cortisol and aldosterone production was observed. Thus, exposure to a house dust-based mixture of OPEs exerts endocrine-disrupting effects on adrenal cells, highlighting the importance of assessing the effects of environmentally relevant mixtures.

SARS-CoV-2 Infection Alters the Phenotype and Gene Expression of Adipocytes.

Epidemiological evidence emphasizes that excess fat mass is associated with an increased risk of severe COVID-19 disease. Nevertheless, the intricate interplay between SARS-CoV-2 and adipocytes remains poorly understood. It is crucial to decipher the progression of COVID-19 both in the acute phase and on long-term outcomes. In this study, an in vitro model using the human SGBS cell line (Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome) was developed to investigate the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in adipocytes, and the effects of virus exposure on adipocyte function. Our results show that SGBS adipocytes expressing ACE2 are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, as evidenced by the release of the viral genome into the medium, detection of the nucleocapsid in cell lysates, and positive immunostaining for the spike protein. Infected adipocytes show remarkable changes compared to uninfected controls: increased surface area of lipid droplets, upregulated expression of genes of inflammation (Haptoglobin, MCP-1, IL-6, PAI-1), increased oxidative stress (MnSOD), and a concomitant reduction of transcripts related to adipocyte function (leptin, fatty acid synthase, perilipin). Moreover, exogenous expression of spike protein in SGBS adipocytes also led to an increase in lipid droplet size. In conclusion using the human SGBS cell line, we detected SARS-CoV-2 infectivity in adipocytes, revealing substantial morphological and functional changes in infected cells.

Savory and Peppermint Essential Oils-Loaded Emulsions and Nanoemulsions Effects on Enterococcus faecium Isolated from Vacuum-Packed Cured Sausage.

In this work, Enterococcus faecium, the specific spoilage organism responsible for bloating spoilage of sliced vacuum-packed cured emulsion-type sausage, was isolated and identified through molecular and biochemical techniques, and then the antibacterial activities of savory-loaded nanoemulsion (SNE), savory-loaded emulsion (SE), peppermint-loaded nanoemulsion (PNE), and peppermint-loaded emulsion (PE) were investigated against spoilage microorganisms. Nanoemulsions with average particle sizes in the range of 109.27 to 118.55 nm were developed by sonication and remained more stable than emulsion samples for 2 weeks. Regardless of emulsion type, the highest antimicrobial activity was detected for savory-loaded samples. Moreover, the significant enhancements in the antimicrobial activity of SNE compared to SE were confirmed by increasing the inhibition zone diameter (17.6%) and decreasing MIC (50%) and MBC (50%) due to the higher specific surface area of smaller droplets. The TEM and SEM micrographs confirmed the inhibitory effects of SNE due to the significant changes in the cell wall integrity of Enterococcus faecium.

A system for fluid pumping by liquid metal multi-droplets.

The transportation and control of microfluidics have an important influence on the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine. Pump systems based on the electrocapillary effect and room-temperature liquid metal droplets have attracted extensive attention. Flow rate is an important parameter that reflects the delivery performance of the pump systems. In the systems of previous studies, cylindrical structures are mostly used to constrain the droplet. The analysis and quantitative description of the influence of voltage frequency, alternating voltage, direct current voltage bias, and solution concentration on the flow rate are not yet comprehensive. Furthermore, the systems are driven by only one droplet, which limits the increase in flow rate. Therefore, a pump with a cuboid structure is designed and the droplet is bound by pillars, and the flow rate of the pump is increased by more than 200% compared with the cylindrical pump. For this structure, the mechanism of various factors on the flow rate is analyzed. To further enhance the flow rate, a pump system with multi-droplets is proposed. Moreover, the expression of flow velocity of the solution on the surface of each droplet and the relationship between the flow rate, alternating voltage, and the number of droplets are deduced. Finally, the potential of applying the multi-droplet cuboid pump system in drug delivery and analytical chemistry is demonstrated. Additionally, the core of the pump, the droplet area, is modularized, which breaks the overall structural limitations of the liquid metal pump and provides ideas for pump design.

Voltammetry in Microemulsion Formed by Electron Donor Solution in Organic Solvent|Ionic Liquid Microdroplets in Aqueous Electrolyte

Oxygen reduction reaction (ORR)1 or hydrogen evolution reaction (HER)2 at liquid|liquid interface provide the possibility of separation of their products: hydrogen peroxide or hydrogen.3,4 Typically, these reactions are studied at single interface formed between immiscible electrolyte solutions in quiescent conditions. In such geometry the frequency of successful reaction events when highly hydrophobic electron donor (i.e. decamethylferrocene (DMFc) or excited form of decamethylruthenocene (DMRc)) dissolved in organic phase meet proton from aqueous phase is rather limited. Importantly, electrochemical recycling of electron donor at electrode positioned close to the liquid|liquid interface increases efficiency of this reaction.5,6 The use of microemulsion is promising higher efficiency alternative, because of extended interfacial area of numerous organic droplets. As efficient electron exchange between oxidized form of electron donor and the electrode is crucial for biphasic ORR and HER one has to focus on electrochemical studies of DMFc or DMRc in emulsions.are important. Voltammetric signal of various redox probes as ferrocene or ferrocene surfactants in quiescent emulsions is similar to that in single phase with some variation of peak density currents or redox potential.7-11 Other studies focused on chronoamperometric experiments to detect collisions of redox probe (e.g. ferrocene12) containing droplets with the electrode surface. It was found that the addition of an hydrophobic ionic liquid, typically trihexyltetradecyl-phosphonium bis(trifluoro-methylsulfonyl) amide to the organic phase as stabiliser and electrolyte, does not influence the magnitude of the electrochemical signal.13 Here we will report results of electrochemical studies of emulsion prepared from aqueous HClO4 and DMFc or DMRc and trihexyltetradecylphosphonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl) imide (IL-PI) solution in toluene. As aqueous phase acid solution was selected, because in biphasic ORR or HER it serves as a source of protons. During the measurements the microemulsion was stirred to achieve faster droplets transport towards the electrode surface. Results will be compared with these obtained in a single organic phase.Voltammograms obtained with glassy carbon disc electrode indicate reversible oxidation/reduction of the redox probe similar to the seen with an electrode immersed in single organic phase. During continuous scanning redox only small change of peak currents is seen. Importantly, when after experiment in emulsion working electrode was transferred to aqueous HClO4, the voltammetric signal is still seen, but the peak currents are significantly smaller. This may indicate the redox reaction in liquid film formed on the electrode surface. Formation of liquid organic film is confirmed by the results of chronoamperometric experiments. When the electrode is set at potential corresponding to the oxidation of the redox probe, of the current is seen after c.a. 100 s drop, what may indicate the gradient of redox probe concentration. As DMFc is insoluble in water this points out on gradient of organic phase close to the glassy carbon surface.14 In turn voltammetric current related to electroreduction of highly hydrophilic hexacyanoferrate(III) is significantly diminished in emulsion as compared to pure aqueous electrolyte indicating partial coverage of the GC surface by hydrophobic film.Other effects related with electrochemical behavior of studied emulsions will be also presented and discussed.

Exploring the energy harvest of droplet flow over inducted film for the rainy-shiny solar panel application

An equivalent electrical circuit (EEC) based on transient pseudo-capacitive and electrostatic induction is established to understand the operating mechanism using voltage-time curve decomposition. All relative parameters including top electrode dimension and the instantaneous droplet area variation are used to demonstrate our droplet-base electricity generation (DEG) mechanism and illustrate the principle of the reverse voltage. Moreover, the Debye length concept is introduced to explain charge density at the interface between ionic droplet and the PTFE surface by various ion concentrations and valent number solutions. This work provides insightful and valuable perspective to explain the exponential decay of output voltage by instantaneous droplet area variation during leaving away from the PTFE surface. Moreover, the multi-functions of fluorinated ethylene propylene film coating on the solar panel by correct circuit design can improve 30% which is novel concept at rainy days alternated with dry ones.

Effect of high directional convex structure on droplet morphology and contact angle

The morphology of a surface has certain influences on its wettability as reflected by the shape of a sessile droplet thereon. The topological structure of superhydrophobic silicone rubber (MVQ) prepared by template method has the characteristics of simple shape and regular arrangement, but such a structure will lead to unstable contact angle (CA) of superhydrophobic surface. Through this study, it is found that the CA value of the original flat MVQ surface is the same in any direction. However, from 0° to 90°, it is observed that the CA on the MVQ surface, the contact radius between water droplets and MVQ and the projected area of water droplets are different. In different directions, the maximum error of CA is 13.75°, the maximum error of contact radius between water droplets-MVQ is 209.5 μm, and the maximum error of projected area of water droplets is 0.284 mm2. In addition, it is found that the contact radius between water droplets and the surface of silicone rubber decreases with the increase of the projected area of water droplets in the direction of larger CA. In order to explain the error of CA and droplet shape due to directionality, this phenomenon is explained by micro-morphology and three-dimensional morphology combined with contact line density theory. This discovery is beneficial to design super-hydrophobic surface with high directionality and realize the application of micro-channel control technology.