Figure 3: The manipulation of aqueous droplets in air using an MRS.

Schematic illustrations and time-sequence images showing the capture and complete release of water droplets of (a) 10 μl and (b) 55 nl onto a superhydrophobic substrate in air. Scale bar, 1 mm. (c) The volume of the water droplet prepared using a hydrophilic-fibre MRS increases as the protrusion length of the fibres increases. The inset presents an optical micrograph showing a stained water column trapped by four hydrophilic fibres. Scale bar, 300 μm. The error bars indicate the standard deviations over five independent measurements. (d) The drop volume remains the same before and after transfer using a 4-hydrophilic-fibre MRS. The insets present optical microscopy images showing almost no water residue on the regulating fibres after the transfer process. Scale bar, 200 μm. The error bars indicate the standard deviations over five independent measurements.