Rolling and slipping motion of a water droplet sandwiched between two parallel plates coated with fluoroalkylsilanes

Si plates were treated using two fluoroalkylsilanes (FAS17 and FAS3), and the internal fluidity of a water droplet sliding between two parallel plates on a slope was observed directly using particle image velocimetry (PIV) method with a high-speed camera system. The interfacial caterpillar-like rotation flows with slip motion at the solid–liquid interface were related to the combination of top and bottom wettabilities. The water droplets accelerated by a rolling and slipping motion on FAS17 coatings; the acceleration was dominated by a rolling motion on FAS3 coatings. A dropletʹs shape, solid–liquid molecular interaction, and the gravitic force will be important factors determining the sliding mode on a solid surface.