Boiling water seems a straightforward enough exercise, you flick on the gas and wait for the bubbles to start popping. But by manipulating how many of those bubbles appear as the temperature rises, scientists have discovered a new way to finely control how much heat and steam is released in the process, a technique they say could lead to advanced cooling systems for more efficient electronic devices.
Developed by scientists at Oregon State University (OSU), the new method uses a piezoelectric inkjet printer to print water-repelling polymer dots onto a substrate. On top of this substrate they placed a water-friendly zinc oxide nanostructure, which only grows in spaces where there are no polymer dots.
By altering this hydrophobic-hydrophilic balance of the material, the scientists can precisely control where and when the bubbles form. This in turn allows them to regulate the boiling and condensation processes and how much heat is transferred along the way. Read more
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