Digitally fabricated 3D slippery architectures for multifunctional liquid manipulation

Woo Young Kim, Seong Min Yoon, Seo Rim Park, Myung Seo Kim, Sang Hoon Lee, Su Hyun Choi, Seungwoo Shin, Sin Kwon, Chang Jong Kim, Kwang Min Lee, Sang-Hoon Nam, Soochan Bae, Peter M. Kang, Nicholas X. Fang, Seok Kim () and Young Tae Cho ()
Additional contact information
Woo Young Kim: Changwon National University
Seong Min Yoon: Changwon National University
Seo Rim Park: Changwon National University
Myung Seo Kim: Changwon National University
Sang Hoon Lee: Samsung Electronics Co.
Su Hyun Choi: Korea Textile Machinery Convergence Research Institute
Seungwoo Shin: Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials
Sin Kwon: Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials
Chang Jong Kim: Research Institute of Medium & Small Shipbuilding
Kwang Min Lee: Ltd.
Sang-Hoon Nam: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Soochan Bae: Harvard Medical School
Peter M. Kang: Harvard Medical School
Nicholas X. Fang: The University of Hong Kong
Seok Kim: Yonsei University
Young Tae Cho: Changwon National University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract The primary challenge in creating controllable liquid-based materials lies in managing the structural complexities and multiscale interfaces that govern solid, liquid, and gas phase interactions. Current fabrication methods for liquid-infused surfaces lack topological flexibility, limiting them to planar and simple-patterned structures. Conversely, digitally fabricating slippery architectural materials marks a significant shift towards scalable microprinting of complex, topologically slippery designs. This paper introduces a method for digitally fabricating slippery objects with solid–liquid composite interfaces and geometric design freedom. The slippery architecture has been demonstrated through digital printing of photopolymerization-induced multiphase materials and photoinduced grafting, enabling precise control over structural topologies and slippery properties of infused liquids. This versatile platform facilitates the fabrication of structures at multiple scales, enhancing liquid manipulation, droplet evaporation, and biomedical microfluidic chip design. These methods advance beyond conventional techniques, showcasing the potential of architected slippery surfaces with controlled structural scales.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-64078-7

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