Projects per year
Abstract
The propagation of interfacial waves in free and constrained conditions, such as deep and shallow water, has been broadly studied over centuries. It is a common event that anyone can witness, while contemplating the ocean waves washing ashore. As a complementary configuration, this work introduces waves propagating on an interface restricted by its pinning to the solid microstructures of an underwater superhydrophobic surface. The latter has the ability to stabilize a well-defined microscale gas layer, called a plastron, trapped between the water and the solid phase. The acoustic radiation force produced with focused MHz ultrasound successfully triggers kHz “plastronic waves”, i.e., capillary waves travelling on a plastron’s gas-water interface. The exposed waves possess interesting features, i.e., (i) a high propagation speed up to 45 times faster than conventional deep water capillary waves of comparable wavelength and (ii) a relation of the propagation speed with the geometry of the microstructures. Based on this and on the observed variation of wave speed over time in conditions of gas-undersaturated or -supersaturated water, the usefulness of the plastronic waves for the non-destructive monitoring of the plastron’s stability and the spontaneous air diffusion is eventually demonstrated.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 1568 |
Pages (from-to) | 1-8 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Nature Communications |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2025 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
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Wong William: Enhanced Electrocatalysis via the Plastron Effect
Wong, W. (Principal investigator)
01/09/2022 → 31/08/2025
Project: RCF Postdoctoral Researcher
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SuperElectro: Super(de)wettability-enhanced Electrocatalysis
Wong, W. (Principal investigator)
01/05/2022 → 31/10/2025
Project: EU Horizon Europe MC
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PULSUR: Värähtelevät pinnat (PULSUR): Vedenalaisten superhydrofobisten pintojen ultraääninen dynamiikka
Nieminen, H. (Principal investigator)
01/09/2021 → 31/08/2025
Project: RCF Academy Project