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Updated: Jul 18, 2026

Glass-Based Devices to Generate Drops and Emulsions
Published on: April 5, 2022
Droplet shape of an anisotropic liquid
Andrew B Croll1, Michael V Massa, Mark W Matsen
1Department of Physics & Astronomy and the Brockhouse Institute for Materials Research, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Abstract:
We investigate how a droplet of a complex liquid is modified by its internal nanoscale structure. As the liquid passes from an isotropic disordered state to an anisotropic layered morphology, the droplet shape switches from a smooth spherical cap to a terraced hyperbolic profile, which can be modeled as a stack of thin concentric circular disks with a repulsion between adjacent disk edges. Our ability to resolve the detailed shape of these defect-free droplets offers a unique opportunity to explore the underlying physics.
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