Stabilizing lubricant in porous microfluidic channel under flow

Lubricants are used in many processes that require friction and adhesion mitigation. When combined with textured surfaces, they can impregnate into cavities which hold them in place for a longer time, resulting in the so-called lubricant-infused slippery surfaces (LubISS). However, many applications involve an exposure of a lubricant impregnated surface to aqueous flow. The applied shear stress can deplete the lubricant. The project aims to understand which factors influence the stability of the lubricant impregnation in LubISS. The stability of the lubricant layer will we visualized by confocal laser scanning microscopy.

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For further information please contact:
Prof. Doris Vollmer, vollmerd@mpip-mainz.mpg.de

Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany

Position closed