DEVICE FOR CONTROLLED DISTRIBUTION OF MICRO- OR NANO- VOLUMES OF A LIQUID BASED ON THE PIEZOELECTRIC EFFECT IN FUNCTIONALISED MATERIALS, WITHOUT USING EXTERNAL ELECTRIC SOURCES

摘要

The invention concerns a method for the controlled distribution of pico- or nano-volumes of a liquid, comprising the step of: A. Deposing the liquid as a film or separated sessile drops on a surface of a starting substrate; the liquid being extracted and distributed on the surface of a substrate called “destination substrate”, the method being characterized in that: —At least one between said starting substrate and destination substrate is a pyroelectric substrate; The method comprising the following further step: B. Varying the temperature of said pyroelectric substrate to induce a surface charge density σ such that the liquid, undergoing the electro-dynamic force, creates dispensing cones wherefrom droplets detach, which are deposed on the surface of the destination substrate, The surface of the destination substrate being set at a distance D, from the surface of the starting substrate facing it, smaller than the critical distance given by the following: Dc=(1+θ/4)V^1/3 wherein 6 Ms the contact angle of the dispensing cone and ̂ the volume of the liquid of the same dispensing cone. The invention further concerns the relevant device for the controlled distribution of pico- or nanovolumes of liquid.