A 3D-printed surface inspired by the pitcher plant can actively pump liquid uphill just by changing its temperature.
Pitcher plants use a unique slippery surface to direct water and trap insects with zero moving parts. Engineers replicated this trick using liquid crystal elastomers to create smart surfaces that can accelerate liquid transfer by up to 250 percent. By applying heat, the material changes shape and forces water or other fluids to move in a specific, unidirectional path. This technology works without pumps or traditional electricity, relying only on thermal activation. It could be used to create self-cleaning medical devices or high-efficiency cooling systems for electronics.
Bioinspired Liquid Crystal Elastomer Actuators for Directional Liquid Transfer and Acceleration
SSRN · 6730311
Directional liquid transfer, prevalent in nature, has been widely emulated in artificial systems through static microfluidic structures. A representative example is Nepenthes alata, whose peristome possesses unique converging microstructures that synergize capillary action and Laplace pressure difference for unidirectional liquid transfer. However, such artificial static structures have fixed geometries and intrinsic flow constraints, restricting liquids to passive movement at fixed velocities.