Published in Physics World, 5 Jun 2009
Researchers in the US have discovered a way of modifying metal surfaces so that they “pump” liquids uphill. The method, which involves exposing the surfaces to pulses of intense laser light, could be exploited in the future for analysing fluids “on-chip” or for biological sensing.
Earlier this week, physicsworld.com reported on research by Chunlei Guo and Anatoliy Vorobyev at the University of Rochester, New York, in which they claimed laser pulses could “blacken” a lightbulb’s tungsten filament and thereby boost its efficiency towards 100 %. Now, Guo and Vorobyev have used a similar technique to affect the surface “wettability” of platinum and gold plates. […]
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