Manipulation of arrayed tiny droplets is important in liquid dispersion, liquid transportation, bioassays, nucleation, integrated electronics, and various lab experiments that require delivering precise and minute volumes of droplets. Liquid dispensed from a small orifice or split from surface patterns are typical methods, but the acquired droplet diameters are similar to that of the nozzle and pattern. Here we demonstrate that tiny droplets with dimensions much smaller than the pattern can be arrayed advantageously through designing a Laplace pressure pattern based on conical morphology and wetting heterogeneity. The pattern could selectively resist liquid’s motion and drive the capillary bridge breaking of macrodrop into arrayed tiny droplets at wettability boundaries. Arrayed picoliter droplets can be acquired on a submillimeter-scaled pattern with a feature size of several hundred micrometers. Through regulating the conical morphologies and the wetting heterogeneity, the volume and number of tiny droplets can be accurately controlled. As a paradigm, adopting droplets of nanoparticle dispersion, various arrayed functional assemblies can be fabricated. This integration of conical morphology and wetting heterogeneity offers a powerful kit for patterned microdroplets quantitative and locational manipulation and opens a new avenue to achieve functional units in a facile and high-throughput way.

中文翻译：

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设计用于微滴处理的拉普拉斯压力模式

在液体分散，液体运输，生物测定，成核，集成电子学以及需要交付精确而微小体积的液滴的各种实验室实验中，阵列微小液滴的操纵非常重要。从小孔口分配液体或从表面图案中分离出来的液体是典型的方法，但是获得的液滴直径与喷嘴和图案的直径相似。在这里，我们证明，通过设计基于圆锥形和润湿异质性的拉普拉斯压力模式，可以有利地排列尺寸远小于模式的微小液滴。该图案可以选择性地抵抗液体的运动，并驱动大液滴的毛细管桥在润湿性边界处破裂成排列成阵列的微小液滴。可以以亚毫米级的模式获取阵列状的皮升液滴，其特征尺寸为几百微米。通过调节圆锥形和润湿异质性，可以精确控制微小液滴的数量和数量。作为范例，采用纳米颗粒分散液的液滴，可以制造各种阵列的功能组件。圆锥形形态和润湿异质性的集成为图案化的微滴定量和位置操作提供了功能强大的试剂盒，并开辟了一条新途径，以便捷，高通量的方式实现功能单元。采用纳米颗粒分散体的液滴，可以制造各种阵列的功能组件。圆锥形形态和润湿异质性的集成为图案化的微滴定量和位置操作提供了功能强大的试剂盒，并开辟了一条新途径，以便捷，高通量的方式实现功能单元。采用纳米颗粒分散体的液滴，可以制造各种阵列的功能组件。圆锥形形态和润湿异质性的集成为图案化的微滴定量和位置操作提供了功能强大的试剂盒，并开辟了一条新途径，以便捷，高通量的方式实现功能单元。