Directional Liquid Mobility and Interlocking of Anisotropic Micropillar Structures Modulated by Multiple Compressive Bending

Abstract

The study investigates the deformation of elastomeric surfaces under multiple compressive bending to modify the geometry of micro-hyperbolic pillar arrays, enabling enhanced liquid repellency and tunable interlocking properties. During bending, compressive stress transforms circular microholes into elliptical shapes. By repeating the process of compressive bending and replication, we can achieve highly anisotropic pillar arrays for anisotropic wetting behavior with directional liquid mobility. The bending process modulates pillar-to-pillar spacing along different axes, further facilitating anisotropic liquid movement. Furthermore, interlocking microarray patterns exhibit direction-dependent shear stress, resulting in a distinct mechanical response. These findings highlight a scalable, cost-effective strategy for designing smart surfaces with tailored wetting and mechanical properties, with potential applications in droplet manipulation and specialized adhesives.Author names: Please confirm if the author names are presented accurately and in the correct sequence (Mike Jason Koleczko). Also, kindly confirm the details in the metadata are correct.correct