title: Water transport mechanism through open capillaries analyzed by direct surface modifications on biological surfaces.
abstract: Some small animals only use water transport mechanisms passively driven by surface energies. However, little is known about passive water transport mechanisms because it is difficult to measure the wettability of microstructures in small areas and determine the chemistry of biological surfaces. Herein, we developed to directly analyse the structural effects of wettability of chemically modified biological surfaces by using a nanoliter volume water droplet and a hi-speed video system. The wharf roach Ligia exotica transports water only by using open capillaries in its legs containing hair- and paddle-like microstructures. The structural effects of legs chemically modified with a self-assembled monolayer were analysed, so that the wharf roach has a smart water transport system passively driven by differences of wettability between the microstructures. We anticipate that this passive water transport mechanism may inspire novel biomimetic fluid manipulations with or without a gravitational field.
authors.affiliation: 1] WPI-Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR), Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577, Japan [2] Center for Fostering Young and Innovative Researchers, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Gokiso-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan [3] CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Hon-cho 4-1-8, Kawaguchi 332-0012, Japan.
authors.forename: Daisuke
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Horiguchi
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yabu
authors.forename: Yasutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Matsuo
authors.forename: Kuniharu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ijiro
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsujii
authors.forename: Tateo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimozawa
authors.forename: Takahiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hariyama
authors.forename: Masatsugu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimomura
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D032701:Biomimetics; D002197:Capillary Action; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D033321:Isopoda / Q000502:physiology; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D014867:Water