Droplet Manipulation on Bioinspired Slippery Surfaces: From Design Principle to Biomedical Applications

Droplet manipulation with high efficiency, high flexibility, and programmability, is essential for various applications in biomedical sciences and engineering. Bioinspired liquid-infused slippery surfaces (LIS), with exceptional interfacial properties, have led to expanding research for droplet manipulation. In this review, an overview of actuation principles is presented to illustrate how materials or systems can be designed for droplet manipulation on LIS. Recent progress on new manipulation methods on LIS is also summarized and their prospective applications in anti-biofouling and pathogen control, biosensing, and the development of digital microfluidics are presented. Finally, an outlook is made on the key challenges and opportunities for droplet manipulation on LIS.