The ability of Lepidoptera, or butterflies and moths, to drink liquids from rotting fruit and wet soil, as well as nectar from floral tubes, raises the question of whether the conventional view of the proboscis as a drinking straw can account for the withdrawal of fluids from porous substrates or of films and droplets from floral tubes. We discovered that the proboscis promotes capillary pull of liquids from diverse sources owing to a hierarchical pore structure spanning nano-and microscales. X-ray phase-contrast imaging reveals that Plateau instability causes liquid bridges to form in the food canal, which are transported to the gut by the muscular sucking pump in the head. The dual functionality of the proboscis represents a key innovation for exploiting a vast range of nutritional sources. We suggest that future studies of the adaptive radiation of the Lepidoptera take into account the role played by the structural organization of the proboscis. A transformative two-step model of capillary intake and suctioning can be applied not only to butterflies and moths but also potentially to vast numbers of other insects such as bees and flies.
We describe a method of fabrication of nanoporous flexible probes which work as artificial proboscises. The challenge of making probes with fast absorption rates and good retention capacity was addressed theoretically and experimentally. This work shows that the probe should possess two levels of pore hierarchy: nanopores are needed to enhance the capillary action and micrometer pores are required to speed up fluid transport. The model of controlled fluid absorption was verified in experiments. We also demonstrated that the artificial proboscises can be remotely controlled by electric or magnetic fields. Using an artificial proboscis, one can approach a drop of hazardous liquid, absorb it and safely deliver it to an analytical device. With these materials, the paradigm of a stationary microfluidic platform can be shifted to the flexible structures that would allow one to pack multiple microfluidic sensors into a single fiber.
In this contribution we present results of differential sputter yield measurements of boron nitride, quartz, and kapton due to bombardment by xenon ions. The measurements are made using a sputtering diagnostic based on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The QCM measurement allows full angular resolution, i.e. differential sputtering yield measurements are measured as a function of both polar angle and azimuthal angle. Measured profiles are presented for 100, 250, 350 and 500 eV Xe + bombardment at 0º, 15º, 30º and 45º angles of incidence. We fit the measured profiles with Modified Zhang expressions using two free parameters: the total sputter yield, Y, and characteristic energy E*. Total yields are calculated from the differential profiles and are compared with published values and weight loss values where possible. φ = azimuthal angle in the target plane from the plane containing the ion beam and target normal ρ = density of target material I.
We have developed a method for laser beam manipulation by using a colloid of nickel nanorods produced by electroplating chemistry. It is shown that the shape of the laser beam passing through a colloid of nickel nanorods can be altered by varying the applied magnetic field. This effect is caused by multiple scattering and diffraction of the laser beam by the nanorods. Compared with spherical nanoparticles, magnetic nanorods are better suited for illumination applications because they are stable in a rotating magnetic field. By rotating the diffraction pattern, one can illuminate a large area.
We studied spontaneous formation of an internal meniscus by dipping glass capillaries of 25 μm to 350 μm radii into low volatile hexadecane and tributyl phosphate. X-ray phase contrast and high speed optical microscopy imaging were employed. We showed that the meniscus completes its formation when the liquid column is still shorter than the capillary radius. After that, the meniscus travels about ten capillary radii at a constant velocity. We demonstrated that the experimental observations can be explained by introducing a friction force linearly proportional to the meniscus velocity with a friction coefficient depending on the air/liquid/solid triplet. It was demonstrated that the friction coefficient does not depend on the capillary radius. Numerical solution of the force balance equation revealed four different uptake regimes that can be specified in a phase portrait. This phase portrait was found to be in good agreement with the experimental results and can be used as a guide for the design of thin porous absorbers.
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