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Bounce, splash, or splat? Water droplets hitting a curved surface behave differently depending on the wettability of that surface, its diameter, and the speed of impact. This study may help pave the way toward frost-free and self-cleaning surfaces for future high-performance materials. 

Source article: 
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Langmuir
Corresponding author: Yutaka Yamada, Ph.D.

Video credits:
Written and produced by Anne Hylden
Editing and animations by Janali Thompson
Narrated by Anne Hylden
Series produced by Vangie Koonce, Anne Hylden, Andrew Sobey, and Jefferson Beck
Executive produced by Matthew Radcliff

Research videos from Taku Ishikawa
Sound effects from Soundsnap

Transcript

This droplet bounces and this one sticks. So why does this one split in half?

Scientists are controlling how water interacts with a surface by changing the material’s microscopic and chemical properties. These videos are from a 2025 paper in the ACS journal Langmuir.

Researchers at Okayama University used a type of chemical etching to create nanostructures on the surface of small copper cylinders. Together with a water-repellent coating, this makes the surface superhydrophobic. But the researchers also electroplated half of the surface with gold, which is hydrophilic. Watch how the water sloshes toward the hydrophilic side in a low-speed impact but splashes apart in a high-speed impact.

This research could help scientists make airplane wings that resist ice formation or windows that clean themselves in the rain. And it’s a great example of the power of chemistry in designing useful materials.