Biomedical subjects

Neelesh A Patankar

Publications and source records attributed to Neelesh A Patankar.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Electroosmotic flow in a rectangular channel with variable wall zeta-potential: comparison of numerical simulation with asymptotic theory.

Electroosmotic flow in a straight micro-channel of rectangular cross-section is computed numerically for several situations where the wall zeta-potential is not constant but has a specified spatial variation. The results of the computation are compared with an earlier published asymptotic theory based on the lubrication approximation: the assumption that any axial variations take place on a long length scale compared to a characteristic channel width. The computational results are found to be in excellent agreement with the theory even when the scale of axial variations is comparable to the channel width. In the opposite limit when the wavelength of fluctuations is much shorter than the channel width, the lubrication theory fails to describe the solution either qualitatively or quantitatively. In this short wave limit the solution is well described by Ajdari's theory for electroosmotic flow between infinite parallel plates (Ajdari, A., Phys. Rev. E 1996, 53, 4996-5005.) The infinitely thin electric double layer limit is assumed in the theory as well as in the simulation.

Electrophoresis↗

PubMed2005

Anisotropy in the wetting of rough surfaces.

Surface roughness amplifies the water-repellency of hydrophobic materials. If the roughness geometry is, on average, isotropic then the shape of a sessile drop is almost spherical and the apparent contact angle of the drop on the rough surface is nearly uniform along the contact line. If the roughness geometry is not isotropic, e.g., parallel grooves, then the apparent contact angle is no longer uniform along the contact line. The apparent contact angles observed perpendicular and parallel to the direction of the grooves are different. A better understanding of this problem is critical in designing rough superhydrophobic surfaces. The primary objective of this work is to determine the mechanism of anisotropic wetting and to propose a methodology to quantify the apparent contact angles and the drop shape. We report a theoretical and an experimental study of wetting of surfaces with parallel groove geometry.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Mimicking the lotus effect: influence of double roughness structures and slender pillars.

Surface roughness is known to amplify hydrophobicity. The apparent contact angle of a drop on a rough surface is often modeled using either Wenzel's or Cassie's formulas. These formulas, along with an appropriate energy analysis, are critical in designing superhydrophobic substrates for applications in microscale devices. In this paper we propose that double (or multiple) roughness structures or slender pillars are appropriate surface geometries to develop "self-cleaning" surfaces. The key motivation behind the double structured roughness is to mimic the microstructure of superhydrophobic leaves (such as lotus). Theoretical analysis similar to that presented in the paper can be used to obtain optimal geometric parameters for the rough surface. The calculation procedure should result in surface geometries with excellent water repellent properties.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Transition between superhydrophobic states on rough surfaces.

Surface roughness is known to amplify hydrophobicity. It is observed that, in general, two drop shapes are possible on a given rough surface. These two cases correspond to the Wenzel (liquid wets the grooves of the rough surface) and Cassie (the drop sits on top of the peaks of the rough surface) formulas. Depending on the geometric parameters of the substrate, one of these two cases has lower energy. It is not guaranteed, though, that a drop will always exist in the lower energy state; rather, the state in which a drop will settle depends typically on how the drop is formed. In this paper, we investigate the transition of a drop from one state to another. In particular, we are interested in the transition of a "Cassie drop" to a "Wenzel drop", since it has implications on the design of superhydrophobic rough surfaces. We propose a methodology, based on energy balance, to determine whether a transition from the Cassie to Wenzel case is possible.

Journal Article↗