Theoretical mass sensitivity of Love wave and layer guided acoustic plate mode sensors

A model for the mass sensitivity of Love wave and layer guided shear horizontal acoustic plate mode (SH–APM) sensors is developed by considering the propagation of shear horizontally polarized acoustic waves in a three layer system. A dispersion equation is derived for this three layer system and this is shown to contain the dispersion equation for the two layer system of the substrate and the guiding layer plus a term involving the third layer, which is regarded as a perturbing mass layer. This equation is valid for an arbitrary thickness perturbing mass layer. The perturbation, Δν, of the wave speed for the two-layer system by a thin third layer of density, ρp and thickness Δh is shown to be equal to the mass per unit area multiplied by a function dependent only on the properties of the substrate and the guiding layer, and the operating frequency of the sensor. The independence of the function from the properties of the third layer means that the mass sensitivity of the bare, two-layer, sensor operated about any thickness of the guiding layer can be deduced from the slope of the numerically or experimentally determined dispersion curve. Formulas are also derived for a Love wave on an infinite thickness substrate describing the change in mass sensitivity due to a change in frequency. The consequences of the various formulas for mass sensing applications are illustrated using numerical calculations with parameters describing a (rigid) poly(methylmethacrylate) wave-guiding layer on a finite thickness quartz substrate. These calculations demonstrate that a layer-guided SH–APM can have a mass sensitivity comparable to, or higher, than that of Love waves propagating on the same substrate. The increase in mass sensitivity of the layer guided SH–APMs over previously studied SH–APM sensors is of significance, particularly for liquid sensing applications. The relevance of the dispersion curve to experiments using higher frequencies or frequency hopping and to experiments using thick guiding layers is discussed

SU-8 Guiding Layer for Love Wave Devices

SU-8 is a technologically important photoresist used extensively for the fabrication of microfluidics and MEMS, allowing high aspect ratio structures to be produced. In this work we report the use of SU-8 as a Love wave sensor guiding layer which allows the possibility of integrating a guiding layer with flow cell during fabrication. Devices were fabricated on ST-cut quartz substrates with a single-single finger design such that a surface skimming bulk wave (SSBW) at 97.4 MHz was excited. SU-8 polymer layers were successively built up by spin coating and spectra recorded at each stage; showing a frequency decrease with increasing guiding layer thickness. The insertion loss and frequency dependence as a function of guiding layer thickness was investigated over the first Love wave mode. Mass loading sensitivity of the resultant Love wave devices was investigated by deposition of multiple gold layers. Liquid sensing using these devices was also demonstrated; water-glycerol mixtures were used to demonstrate sensing of density-viscosity and the physical adsorption and removal of protein was also assessed using albumin and fibrinogen as model proteins

Electrowetting on superhydrophobic SU-8 patterned surfaces

Electrowetting on micro-patterned layers of SU-8 photoresist with an amorphous Teflon (R) coating has been observed. The cosine of the contact angle is shown to be proportional to the square of the applied voltage for increasing bias. However, this does not apply below 40 V and we suggest that this may be explained in terms of penetration of fluid into the pattern of the surface. Assuming that the initial application of a bias voltage converts the drop from Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel regime, we have used this as a technique to estimate the roughness factor of the surface

ST Quartz Acoustic Wave Sensors with Sectional Guiding Layers

We report the effect of removing a section of guiding layer from the propagation paths of ST-quartz Love wave sensors; this offers the ease of fabrication of a polymer guiding layer whilst retaining the native surface of the quartz which may then be used for the attachment of a sensitizing layer. Data is presented for rigid and viscous loading, which indicates a small reduction in mass sensitivity compared to a Love wave device. Biosensing capabilities of these discontinuous ‘sectional’ guiding layer devices are demonstrated using protein adsorption from solution

An introduction to superhydrophobicity

This paper is derived from a training session prepared for COST P21. It is intended as an introduction to superhydrophobicity to scientists who may not work in this area of physics or to students. Superhydrophobicity is an effect where roughness and hydrophobicity combine to generate unusually hydrophobic surfaces, causing water to bounce and roll off as if it were mercury and is used by plants and animals to repel water, stay clean and sometimes even to breathe. The effect is also known as The Lotus Effect® and Ultrahydrophobicity. In this paper we introduce many of the theories used, some of the methods used to generate surfaces and then describe some of the implications of the effect

Electrowetting of liquid marbles

Electrowetting of water drops on structured superhydrophobic surfaces are known to cause an irreversible change from a slippy (Cassie-Baxter) to a sticky (Wenzel) regime. An alternative approach to using a water drop on a superhydrophobic surface to obtain a non-wetting system is to use a liquid marble on a smooth solid substrate. A liquid marble is a droplet coated in hydrophobic grains, which therefore carries its own solid surface structure as a conformal coating. Such droplets can be considered as perfect non-wetting systems having contact angles to smooth solid substrates of close to 180 degrees. In this work we report the electrowetting of liquid marbles made of water coated with hydrophobic lycopodium grains and show that the electrowetting is completely reversible. Marbles are shown to return to their initial contact angle for both ac and dc electrowetting and without requiring a threshold voltage to be exceeded. Furthermore, we provide a proof-of-principle demonstration that controlled motion of marbles on a finger electrode structure is possible

Liquid marbles: principles and applications

The ability of particles to adhere to a fluid–fluid interface can stabilize the formation of an emulsion. When the encapsulated fluid is a liquid and the fluid in which it is immersed is air, the object formed is called a “Liquid Marble”. Here we discuss how liquid marbles can be created, their fundamental properties and their transport and potential uses. We show how they arise naturally as an insect waste disposal system, from impact of droplets on powders and on hydrophobic soil, and in the mixing of particulate containing liquids. Our principal aim is to review research on macroscopic single marbles and their potential uses in sensors and droplet microfluidics. However, we also illustrate the similarity between liquid marbles, Pickering emulsions and “Dry Water”, and the potential application of assemblies of liquid marbles within cosmetics and pharmaceutical formulations. Finally, we discuss how modifying the surface structure of particles and providing heterogeneous surface chemistry on particles (e.g. Janus particles) might provide new types of liquid marbles and applications

Porous materials show superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic switching

Switching between superhydrophobicity and superhydrophilicity in porous materials was predicted theoretically and demonstrated experimentally with the example of thermally induced contact angle change; tunability of this system was also demonstrated

Terminal velocity and drag reduction measurements on superhydrophobic spheres

Super water-repellent surfaces occur naturally on plants and aquatic insects and are created in the laboratory by combining micro- or nanoscale surface topographic features with hydrophobic surface chemistry. When such types of water-repellent surfaces are submerged they can retain a film of air (a plastron). In this work, we report measurements of the terminal velocity of solid acrylic spheres with various surface treatments settling under the action of gravity in water. We observed increases in terminal velocity corresponding to drag reduction of between 5% and 15% for superhydrophobic surfaces that carry plastrons

Self-organization of hydrophobic soil and granular surfaces

Soil can become extremely water repellent following forest fires or oil spillages, thus preventing penetration of water and increasing runoff and soil erosion. Here the authors show that evaporation of a droplet from the surface of a hydrophobic granular material can be an active process, lifting, self-coating, and selectively concentrating small solid grains. Droplet evaporation leads to the formation of temporary liquid marbles and, as droplet volume reduces, particles of different wettabilities compete for water-air interfacial surface area. This can result in a sorting effect with self-organization of a mixed hydrophobic-hydrophilic aggregate into a hydrophobic shell surrounding a hydrophilic core