The Impact of Surface Geometry, Cavitation, and Condensation on Wetting Transitions: Posts and Reentrant Structures

Abstract: The fundamental impacts of surface geometry on the stability of wetting states, and the transitions between them are elucidated for posts and reentrant structures in both two and three dimensions. We identify three principal outcomes of particular importance for future surface design of liquid-repellent surfaces. Firstly, we demonstrate and quantify how capillary condensation and vapour cavitation affect wetting state stabilities, and the roles condensates play in wetting transitions. Crucially, this leads to a description of the surface structures which exhibit a suspended state in the absence of a collapsed state. Secondly, two distinct collapse mechanisms are observed for 3D reentrant geometries, Base Contact and Pillar Contact, which are operative at different pillar heights. As well as morphological differences in the penetrating liquid, each mechanism is affected differently by changes in the contact angle with the solid. Finally, symmetry breaking is shown to be prevalent in 2D systems, but absent in the 3D equivalents. For the 2D reentrant geometries, three pillar heigh-dependent collapse mechanisms are shown: asymmetric Pillar Contact and Base Contact, and a third hybrid mode.