2008 Annual Report
WATER DROPLETS sit on the “heads” of “nanonails” developed by Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Tom Krupenkin. Nanonails are tightly packed nanostructures that create a surface with dynamic wettability. The heads of the tiny nail-like structures can repel liquid until Krupenkin adds electricity, which makes the liquid slip past the nailheads and wet the surface completely.
Nanonails could produce self-cleaning surfaces or be used in “lab-on-a-chip” technology. Nanonails may also be useful in cold climates—the material surface would retard ice formation, which could reduce reliance on toxic deicing fluids and protect helicopter blades from heavy ice.
In addition to the nanonails, Krupenkin's team has developed another unique material at the micro-scale. Read more at “Mirror image: Self-assembling micro tiles look promising as optical devices.”