Enhanced droplet repellency and jumping condensation on superhydrophobic lubricant-infused surfaces at high subcooling temperatures

Superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) have received significant attention due to their low surface energy, which facilitates droplet dewetting transition and promotes jumping condensation. However, at high subcooling temperatures, SHSs encounter challenges in maintaining their performance. They are prone to issues like nucleation-induced flooding condensation and reduced hydrophobicity. To address the limitations of SHSs at high subcooling temperatures, we propose the concept of superhydrophobic lubricant-infused surfaces (LISs). These combine the advantages of superhydrophobicity with enhanced functionality provided by a lubricant layer. Firstly, the wetting and adhesion of droplets on LISs have been explored, considering the effects of substrate characteristic and lubricant thickness. Subsequently, the surface condensation on both LISs and SHSs at high subcooling temperatures has been investigated. The failure modes of SHSs at high subcooling temperatures have been revealed. Our molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that by infusing a superhydrophobic lubricant, the LISs can effectively overcome the limitations of SHSs. This enables the maintenance of dewetting property and ensures droplet jumping condensation, even at high subcooling temperatures. Finally, a comprehensive map is developed to compare the static wettability and dynamic wettability during condensation under different substrate characteristics and lubricant thicknesses. The present work can provide valuable insights into the potential of LISs in addressing the limitations of SHSs. It paves the way for applications in various fields, such as self-cleaning, anti-icing, moisture resistance, drag reduction, and enhanced heat transfer performance.