We are making contributions to the science and engineering of surfaces and interfaces, with a strong focus on wettability control, droplet and bubble dynamics, slippery and superhydrophobic surfaces, and their translation into microfluidic and sensing platforms. The early works are addressed the fundamental physics of wetting at gas–liquid–solid interfaces, including a systematic investigation of air-bubble wetting and adhesion as a function of surface wettability, surface tension, and ionic surfactants, providing critical insights into interfacial stability and bubble–surface interactions relevant to flotation, microfluidics, and underwater technologies [1]. These fundamental studies directly informed the design of advanced functional surfaces, including self-cleaning superhydrophobic surfaces exhibiting underwater superaerophobicity, where the interplay between surface texture and chemistry was shown to govern both liquid and gas repellency [2].

Another thrust area of interest is the laser-assisted tailoring of surface wettability, enabling maskless, scalable, and spatially selective modification of surface properties. His work demonstrated how laser-induced micro- and nanostructuring can generate robust superhydrophobic states and enable precise control over wetting transitions without complex chemical processing [3,4]. Importantly, we introduced rewritable and thermo-switchable wettability gradients, which allow fast, directional transport of droplets across open surfaces, effectively implementing key microfluidic operations such as droplet actuation and transport without enclosed channels [5].

Extending wettability engineering toward functional and analytical interfaces, we made wettability-contrast surfaces, where patterned hydrophilic–hydrophobic domains are used to confine, split, and array droplets. He demonstrated plasmonic wettability-contrast paper and solid substrates that act as open-surface microfluidic platforms while simultaneously enabling surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) for ultrasensitive chemical detection [6]. This concept was further advanced through multiplexed wettability-contrast SERS droplet assays, which integrate droplet microfluidics with plasmonic sensing to achieve parallel analyte detection on a single surface [7].

More recently, we did work on slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) and low-hysteresis interfaces to overcome limitations of conventional superhydrophobic coatings under realistic conditions. The work demonstrated plasmonic slippery surfaces that combine excellent droplet mobility with suppressed protein adsorption and enhanced SERS performance, bridging interfacial science with biosensing and diagnostics [8]. Complementary studies systematically investigated the influence of substrate and lubricant viscosity on droplet dynamics, revealing how viscous dissipation at liquid–liquid interfaces governs droplet motion and stability, thereby providing quantitative design guidelines for surface-based microfluidic transport [9].

In parallel, our group has contributed to the development of fluorine-free superhydrophobic particulate and coating systems, including PDMS-coated silica particles for oil–water separation and liquid marble formation, emphasizing environmentally benign routes to functional wetting behavior [10]. Our work is further contextualized through authoritative book chapters that consolidate fundamental principles and emerging applications of wettability engineering and laser-assisted surface modification, serving as reference frameworks for the field [3,4,11]. 

References

1. A study on air bubble wetting: Role of surface wettability, surface tension, and ionic surfactants, Applied Surface Science, 410, 117–125 (2017).

2. Self-cleaning superhydrophobic surfaces with underwater superaerophobicity, Materials & Design, 100, 8–18 (2016).

3. Laser Assisted Tailoring of Wettability: Fundamentals and Applications, Progress in Adhesion and Adhesives, Book Chapter (2020).

4. Laser-assisted superhydrophobic surfaces, Advances in Superhydrophobic Coatings, Royal Society of Chemistry (2023).

5. Fast transport of water droplets over a thermo-switchable surface using rewritable wettability gradient, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 9, 28046–28054 (2017).

6. Facile fabrication of plasmonic wettability contrast paper surface for droplet array-based SERS sensing, Applied Surface Science, 571, 151188 (2022).

7. A wettability-contrast SERS droplet assay for multiplexed analyte detection, Analytical Chemistry, 96, 9141–9150 (2024).

8. Plasmonic slippery surface for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and protein adsorption inhibition, Analytical Chemistry (2025).

9. Substrate viscosity-dependent droplet behavior on slippery surfaces, Colloids and Surfaces A, 706, 135811 (2025).

10. Fluorine-free superhydrophobic PDMS-coated silica particles for oil–water separation and liquid marbles, Journal of Materials Science, 58, 18060–18072 (2023).

11. Surface wettability and superhydrophobicity, Advances in Superhydrophobic Coatings, Royal Society of Chemistry, Book Chapter (2023).