Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026
06:16
Scalable Stamp Printing and Fabrication of Hemiwicking Surfaces
Published on: December 18, 2018
6.7K
Transition from stripe-like patterns to a particulate film using driven evaporating menisci
Diego Noguera-Marín1, Carmen L Moraila-Martínez, Miguel A Cabrerizo-Vílchez
1Biocolloid and Fluid Physics Group, Applied Physics Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada , E-18071 Granada, Spain.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|June 17, 2014
Summary
Controlling colloidal assembly via convective deposition is key for particle templating. This study reveals that lowering substrate contact angle hysteresis and receding contact angle transitions deposit morphology from stripes to a film.
Area of Science:
- Colloidal science
- Materials science
- Surface science
Background:
- Colloidal assembly via convective deposition is crucial for particle templating.
- Understanding factors influencing colloidal patterning is essential for improved control.
- Deposit morphology is significantly affected by contact line dynamics and substrate wettability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To experimentally investigate the influence of substrate contact angle hysteresis and receding contact angle on colloidal deposit morphology.
- To explore how wettability properties affect colloidal patterning mechanisms during convective deposition.
- To analyze the transition in deposit morphology under varying substrate wettability conditions.
Main Methods:
- Utilized driven evaporating menisci at low capillary numbers, akin to dip-coating.
- Employed smooth substrates with diverse wettability properties and nanoparticles of varying sizes.
- Systematically varied substrate contact angle hysteresis and receding contact angle.
Main Results:
- Observed a gradual transition in deposit morphology from stripe-like patterns to a continuous film.
- Demonstrated that lowering contact angle hysteresis and receding contact angle drives this morphological transition.
- Correlated deposit morphology with specific substrate wettability characteristics.
Conclusions:
- Substrate wettability, specifically contact angle hysteresis and receding contact angle, plays a critical role in controlling colloidal assembly during convective deposition.
- Tailoring substrate properties offers a pathway to engineer desired colloidal deposit morphologies for applications like particle templating.
- Further research into wettability effects can lead to enhanced control over nanoscale material fabrication.
