Liquid marbles Liquid marbles provide a new approach to transport liquid mass on the solid surface, which sufficiently transform the inconvenient glass containers into flexible, user-specified hydrophobic coating composed of powders of hydrophobic materials. Since then, the applications of liquid marbles in no-loss mass transport, microfluidics and microreactors have been extensively investigated. However, liquid marbles only reflect the water behavior at the solid-air interface, while there is no report on the water behavior at the liquid-liquid interface, as a result of the so-called coalescence cascade phenomenon. When a water droplet is in contact with a water reservoir, it will quickly pinch off
Liquid marbles Liquid marbles Liquid marbles are non-stick droplets (normally aqueous) wrapped by micro- or nano-metrically scaled hydrophobic, colloidal particles (Teflon, polyethylene, lycopodium powder, carbon black, etc.); representing a platform for a diversity of chemical and biological applications. Liquid marbles are also found naturally; aphids convert honeydew droplets into marbles. A variety of non-organic and organic liquids may be converted into liquid marbles. Liquid marbles demonstrate elastic properties and do not coalesce when bounced or pressed lightly. Liquid marbles demonstrate a potential as micro-reactors, micro-containers for growing micro-organisms and cells, micro-fluidics devices, and have even been used in unconventional computing. Liquid marbles