Capillary Bridge Behavior on Hydrophilic, Hydrophobic, and Liquid-infused Surfaces [dataset]

Aqueous capillary liquid bridges are ubiquitous in nature and in technological processes. Here, we comparatively investigate capillary bridges formed between three distinct types of surfaces: (i) hydrophilic glass, (ii) hydrophobic dichlorodimethylsilane (DMS)-functionalized glass, and (iii) silicone-oil-infused LIS. We combine experimental measurements and computer simulations of the capillary bridges’ evolution upon changes in the gap size between the surfaces, deriving in each case the bridge geometry and the resulting capillary force. The results, also compared with predictions from the existing theory, follow expected trends on glass and DMS- functionalized surfaces: contact line pinning dominates the bridge behavior on glass with a characteristic stick-slip motion, whereas a pronounced advancing and receding hysteresis is observed on DMS surfaces. On LIS, the absence of pinning leads to minimal force variation, gravity-driven breaking of the bridge symmetry, and possible liquid exchange between LIS through bridge cloaking. These effects become particularly significant in asymmetric bridge configurations combining LIS and DMS surfaces, where the transfer of lubricant from LIS to DMS modifies the effective surface tension and alters bridge–surface interactions. Our systematic comparison of the capillary bridge behavior across solid and liquid interfaces with varying wettability provides a foundation for designing functional surface applications with controlled bridge-surface interactions.

水性毛细液桥（aqueous capillary liquid bridges）广泛存在于自然界与工业制程中。本文针对三类不同表面形成的毛细液桥开展对比研究：（i）亲水玻璃表面；（ii）经二氯二甲基硅烷（dichlorodimethylsilane, DMS）改性的疏水玻璃表面；（iii）硅油浸润的液体注入型表面（liquid-infused porous surface, LIS）。我们结合实验测量与计算机模拟手段，探究了表面间隙变化时毛细液桥的演化过程，并推导得到各类工况下液桥的几何形态与对应的毛细作用力。研究结果与现有理论预测值进行了对比，在玻璃与DMS改性表面上的实验结果符合预期趋势：玻璃表面的液桥行为以接触线钉扎为主，呈现典型的黏滑运动；而DMS改性表面则表现出显著的前进后退润湿滞后现象。在LIS表面上，无接触线钉扎效应导致液桥作用力变化极小，同时出现重力驱动的桥体对称性破缺，且可通过液桥包覆作用实现LIS间的液体交换。当采用LIS与DMS改性表面组合的非对称桥体构型时，上述效应尤为显著：润滑剂从LIS向DMS表面的迁移会改变有效表面张力，进而改变液桥与表面之间的相互作用。本研究对不同润湿性的固液界面处的毛细液桥行为开展了系统性对比分析，为设计具备可控液桥-表面相互作用的功能性表面应用奠定了理论基础。