Multibioinspired slippery surfaces with wettable bump arrays for droplets pumping

Significance Efficient droplet manipulation has been widely studied and used in various applications, including water treatment, chemical and biological analysis, etc. However, most of the approaches for droplet manipulation still face many challenges such as external energy dependence, single-directional droplets handling, and nonrecyclability. In this study, inspired by the features and strategies of Namib desert beetles, Nepenthes pitcher plants, and emergent aquatic plants, we present a multibioinspired slippery surface for efficient droplet manipulation by combining bottom-up colloidal self-assembly, top-down photolithography, and microstructured mold replication. It has been demonstrated that the prepared surface could well address these challenges and behave well in conducting multiplexed tasks including droplet capturing, pumping, and collecting.