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Volume 11
Issue 9
10.3390/gels11090730
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Review

Gel-Based Marangoni Actuators: Mechanisms, Material Designs, Driving Modes, and Cross-Scale Applications

by
Xuehao Feng
,
Zhizheng Gao
,
Wenguang Yang
* and
Shuliang Zhu
*
School of Electromechanical and Automotive Engineering, Yantai University, Yantai 264005, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Gels 2025, 11(9), 730; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090730
Submission received: 4 August 2025 / Revised: 21 August 2025 / Accepted: 9 September 2025 / Published: 11 September 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Gel Processing and Engineering)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Marangoni actuators, rooted in interfacial tension gradients, stand as a significant advancement in micro-nano engineering. This review synthesizes their core mechanisms, which hinge on establishing gradients via temperature or solute concentration, with structural designs facilitating directional motion. Key actuation modalities, encompassing light, chemical, and electric driving, exhibit distinct characteristics in controllability and responsiveness. Their applications span cross-scale scenarios, from microscopic operations to macroscopic functional implementations. Current challenges involve optimizing performance and enhancing multi-field coordination, while future directions focus on advanced materials, intelligent regulation, and scalable fabrication. These actuators hold substantial potential in interdisciplinary fields, such as biomedicine, environmental engineering, and microfluidics.
Keywords: Marangoni effect; Marangoni actuators; interfacial tension gradients; actuation mechanisms; cross-scale applications Marangoni effect; Marangoni actuators; interfacial tension gradients; actuation mechanisms; cross-scale applications

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Feng, X.; Gao, Z.; Yang, W.; Zhu, S. Gel-Based Marangoni Actuators: Mechanisms, Material Designs, Driving Modes, and Cross-Scale Applications. Gels 2025, 11, 730. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090730

AMA Style

Feng X, Gao Z, Yang W, Zhu S. Gel-Based Marangoni Actuators: Mechanisms, Material Designs, Driving Modes, and Cross-Scale Applications. Gels. 2025; 11(9):730. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090730

Chicago/Turabian Style

Feng, Xuehao, Zhizheng Gao, Wenguang Yang, and Shuliang Zhu. 2025. "Gel-Based Marangoni Actuators: Mechanisms, Material Designs, Driving Modes, and Cross-Scale Applications" Gels 11, no. 9: 730. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090730

APA Style

Feng, X., Gao, Z., Yang, W., & Zhu, S. (2025). Gel-Based Marangoni Actuators: Mechanisms, Material Designs, Driving Modes, and Cross-Scale Applications. Gels, 11(9), 730. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels11090730

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