Advancements in additive manufacturing have facilitated the development of bioinspired microstructures, which hold promise for applications, such as liquid transport, self-cleaning, and anti-icing. However, the controllability of these microstructures remains an area requiring further exploration. This research explores the design, fabrication, and active control of 3D-printed bioinspired microstructures for dynamic wettability modulation. First, the anisotropic scales of butterfly wings were replicated through optimized two-photon polymerization printing strategies, achieving directional droplet motion controlled by structural geometry and arrangement. The reversed wetting trend compared with natural wings revealed key insights into the structure–performance relationship. Next, microstructures were integrated with dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) to realize voltage-driven surface tuning. The fabricated surfaces exhibited strong bonding, shape recovery, and tunable hydrophobicity. DEA-induced deformation enabled rapid, reversible wetting state transitions, achieving programmable droplet transport with high precision and repeatability. Building upon the surface-level control enabled by DEA integration, an analytical model for microscale DEA was further developed to achieve actuation of individual microstructures. This model predicts electromechanical performance and ensures electrical reliability, providing a rational design framework beyond trial-and-error fabrication. Together, these advances demonstrate a versatile platform for 3D-printed, actively controllable bioinspired surfaces, enabling adaptive wettability and precise droplet manipulation in microfluidic applications.
","abstract_html":"<p>Advancements in additive manufacturing have facilitated the development of bioinspired microstructures, which hold promise for applications, such as liquid transport, self-cleaning, and anti-icing. However, the controllability of these microstructures remains an area requiring further exploration. This research explores the design, fabrication, and active control of 3D-printed bioinspired microstructures for dynamic wettability modulation. First, the anisotropic scales of butterfly wings were replicated through optimized two-photon polymerization printing strategies, achieving directional droplet motion controlled by structural geometry and arrangement. The reversed wetting trend compared with natural wings revealed key insights into the structure–performance relationship. Next, microstructures were integrated with dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) to realize voltage-driven surface tuning. The fabricated surfaces exhibited strong bonding, shape recovery, and tunable hydrophobicity. DEA-induced deformation enabled rapid, reversible wetting state transitions, achieving programmable droplet transport with high precision and repeatability. Building upon the surface-level control enabled by DEA integration, an analytical model for microscale DEA was further developed to achieve actuation of individual microstructures. This model predicts electromechanical performance and ensures electrical reliability, providing a rational design framework beyond trial-and-error fabrication. Together, these advances demonstrate a versatile platform for 3D-printed, actively controllable bioinspired surfaces, enabling adaptive wettability and precise droplet manipulation in microfluidic applications.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ren, Zefu"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering","degree_level":"Dissertation - Open Access","degree_discipline":"Aerospace Engineering","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-10-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2025-10-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:26:22Z","subjects":["Bio-inspired microstructures; Two-photon polymerization; Controllable wettability; Droplet transportation; DEA; Additive manufacturing","Structures and Materials"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://commons.erau.edu/edt/932","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ren, Zefu"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Aerospace Engineering"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation - Open Access"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Bio-inspired microstructures; Two-photon polymerization; Controllable wettability; Droplet transportation; DEA; Additive manufacturing","Structures and Materials"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://commons.erau.edu/edt/932"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Advancements in additive manufacturing have facilitated the development of bioinspired microstructures, which hold promise for applications, such as liquid transport, self-cleaning, and anti-icing. However, the controllability of these microstructures remains an area requiring further exploration. This research explores the design, fabrication, and active control of 3D-printed bioinspired microstructures for dynamic wettability modulation. First, the anisotropic scales of butterfly wings were replicated through optimized two-photon polymerization printing strategies, achieving directional droplet motion controlled by structural geometry and arrangement. The reversed wetting trend compared with natural wings revealed key insights into the structure–performance relationship. Next, microstructures were integrated with dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) to realize voltage-driven surface tuning. The fabricated surfaces exhibited strong bonding, shape recovery, and tunable hydrophobicity. DEA-induced deformation enabled rapid, reversible wetting state transitions, achieving programmable droplet transport with high precision and repeatability. Building upon the surface-level control enabled by DEA integration, an analytical model for microscale DEA was further developed to achieve actuation of individual microstructures. This model predicts electromechanical performance and ensures electrical reliability, providing a rational design framework beyond trial-and-error fabrication. Together, these advances demonstrate a versatile platform for 3D-printed, actively controllable bioinspired surfaces, enabling adaptive wettability and precise droplet manipulation in microfluidic applications.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Additively Manufactured Bioinspired Microstructures for Active Surface Modification"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Ren, Zefu"],"dc:description.abstract":["Advancements in additive manufacturing have facilitated the development of bioinspired microstructures, which hold promise for applications, such as liquid transport, self-cleaning, and anti-icing. However, the controllability of these microstructures remains an area requiring further exploration. This research explores the design, fabrication, and active control of 3D-printed bioinspired microstructures for dynamic wettability modulation. First, the anisotropic scales of butterfly wings were replicated through optimized two-photon polymerization printing strategies, achieving directional droplet motion controlled by structural geometry and arrangement. The reversed wetting trend compared with natural wings revealed key insights into the structure–performance relationship. Next, microstructures were integrated with dielectric elastomer actuators (DEAs) to realize voltage-driven surface tuning. The fabricated surfaces exhibited strong bonding, shape recovery, and tunable hydrophobicity. DEA-induced deformation enabled rapid, reversible wetting state transitions, achieving programmable droplet transport with high precision and repeatability. Building upon the surface-level control enabled by DEA integration, an analytical model for microscale DEA was further developed to achieve actuation of individual microstructures. This model predicts electromechanical performance and ensures electrical reliability, providing a rational design framework beyond trial-and-error fabrication. Together, these advances demonstrate a versatile platform for 3D-printed, actively controllable bioinspired surfaces, enabling adaptive wettability and precise droplet manipulation in microfluidic applications.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://commons.erau.edu/edt/932"],"dc:subject":["Bio-inspired microstructures; Two-photon polymerization; Controllable wettability; Droplet transportation; DEA; Additive manufacturing","Structures and Materials"],"dc:title":["Additively Manufactured Bioinspired Microstructures for Active Surface Modification"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Aerospace Engineering"],"thesis:degree_level":["Dissertation - Open Access"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy in Aerospace Engineering"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-27T19:26:22Z"}