Electro‐Adaptive V‐Array Elastomer Track for Programmable Droplet Steering

ABSTRACT Programmable liquid handling platforms based on droplet steering have significant applications in various fields. Despite great progress in this field, achieving programmable and precise control over liquid droplet sliding trajectories still remains a challenge. Herein, a strategy for programmable droplet steering using an electro‐adaptive V‐array elastomer track (EAVET) is proposed, which can control the droplet steering behavior, namely, slip state and slip trajectory. By adjusting electric field to alter the V‐structure spacing, the water‐oil‐solid interface can be adjusted correspondingly, and an asymmetric gradient wettability interface is created, thus enabling regulation of the droplet's dynamic motion behavior, including pinned/sliding states and sliding direction. As a result, through the synergistic effect of electric field and V‐array track, real‐time control over the droplet's lateral slip direction and distance can be achieved, enabling adaptive droplet steering. Finally, micro‐reaction detection experiments were conducted to prove that this work provides a solution for programmable fluid manipulation platforms, which can be utilized in devices requiring high operational precision. Thus, this work provides a solution for programmable droplet steering, with potential applications in intelligent interface materials, microfluidic technology, micro‐reaction systems, and so on.