Shaped composite liquid marbles

• Parallelepiped-shaped liquid marbles are reported.
• Shaped marbles were prepared with hydrophilized foamed polystyrene particles.
• Janus shaped marbles are reported.
• Actuation of marbles with electric field is discussed.

Shaped “cubic” non-stick droplets are reported. Shaped composite droplets were manufactured via a two-stage process. In the first stage, cubic foamed-polystyrene particles were hydrophilized with cold radiofrequency plasma. Then particles were wetted with water. In the second stage, they were coated with solid, colloidal particles such as lycopodium, Teflon or carbon black. Thus, “liquid marble”-like non-stick shaped droplets were obtained. The shaped “cubic” droplets remained stable when supported by a NaCl water solution. Shaped Janus droplets coated on one side with dielectric Teflon and with semiconductor carbon black on the other side, were prepared. Janus marbles were actuated with an electric field.

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