Laser-Assisted Structures for Efficient Fluid Management on Stainless Steel Surfaces.

The article presents a high-productivity laser-structuring method combined with a hydrophobic post-treatment to create zone-structured surfaces with a decreasing wetting angle on AISI 304 stainless steel surfaces. We have investigated the impact of laser processing modes and hydrophobic substances on wetting and hysteresis angles and successfully demonstrated autonomous droplet movement over this zone-structured surface. A critical condition for autonomous fluid flow is the need for the drop to touch the boundary between the two zones.