University of illinois Urbana-Champaign

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Water Droplet on PDMS

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Created 08/03/2004

Changing the surface features of poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) changes the angle that the water makes with the surface. The PDMS used in this photo has been patterned with a grid of 100 um[sup]2[/sup] dots, seen here as blue circles, magnified and slightly distorted by the curvature of the droplet. The photo was acquired in the VMIL by the Canon EOS-1Ds on a Manfrotto tripod mount using the 5x macro lens at almost maximum magnification. The PDMS sample was placed upon a blue gel laid on top of a light box, which provided a diffuse illumination for the entire sample. Two macro flash units were positioned approximately 15cm from the PDMS in order to provide sufficient light for a short exposure time. (The bright white specular reflections are a result of the macro flash.)

Credits

  • Michael Motala , Department of Inorganic Chemistry
  • Dr. Ralph Nuzzo, Director , Materials Research Laboratory
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