• Featured in Physics
  • Editors' Suggestion

Capillary Origami: Spontaneous Wrapping of a Droplet with an Elastic Sheet

Charlotte Py, Paul Reverdy, Lionel Doppler, José Bico, Benoît Roman, and Charles N. Baroud
Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 156103 – Published 13 April 2007
Physics logo
PDFHTMLExport Citation

Abstract

The interaction between elasticity and capillarity is used to produce three-dimensional structures through the wrapping of a liquid droplet by a planar sheet. The final encapsulated 3D shape is controlled by tailoring the initial geometry of the flat membrane. Balancing interfacial energy with elastic bending energy provides a critical length scale below which encapsulation cannot occur, which is verified experimentally. This length is found to depend on the thickness as h3/2, a scaling favorable to miniaturization which suggests a new way of mass production of 3D micro- or nanoscale objects.

  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Figure
  • Received 27 November 2006

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.98.156103

©2007 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Charlotte Py1,*, Paul Reverdy2, Lionel Doppler1, José Bico1, Benoît Roman1, and Charles N. Baroud2

  • 1Physique et Mécanique des Milieux Hétérogènes, ESPCI, Paris 6, Paris 7, UMR CNRS 7636, 75231 Paris cedex 5, France
  • 2Laboratoire d’Hydrodynamique (LadHyX) and Département de Mécanique, École Polytechnique, UMR CNRS 7646, 91128 Palaiseau cedex, France

  • *Present address: Matière et Systèmes Complexes, Universitè Paris 7, UMR CNRS 7057, 75205 PARIS Cedex 13, France.

See Also

Micro-origami

Neal Singer
Phys. Rev. Focus 19, 11 (2007)

Article Text (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

Supplemental Material (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 98, Iss. 15 — 13 April 2007

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review Letters

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×