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Published on: November 14, 2025
Slip-mediated dewetting of polymer microdroplets
Joshua D McGraw1, Tak Shing Chan2, Simon Maurer3
1Soft Matter Physics Group, Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66041 Saarbrücken, Germany; Département de Physique, Ecole Normale Supérieure/Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL) Research University, CNRS, 75005 Paris, France; joshua.mcgraw@phys.ens.fr.
This study shows that liquid slip at the three-phase contact line significantly influences microdroplet dewetting dynamics. Controlling slip is key to understanding and predicting these complex fluid behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Fluid dynamics
- Surface science
- Materials science
Background:
- Classical models predict infinite work to move a three-phase contact line.
- Slip boundary conditions resolve this unphysical prediction by allowing liquid to slide on solids.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the role of slip in microdroplet dewetting.
- Quantify the influence of slip on contact line dynamics and droplet shape evolution.
Main Methods:
- Experimental dewetting of polystyrene microdroplets on self-assembled monolayers.
- In situ monitoring using atomic force microscopy.
- Numerical integration of Stokes equations with Navier slip boundary condition.
Main Results:
- Slip was a dominating and controllable factor in microdroplet dewetting.
- Slip strongly influenced transient nonspherical shapes and contact line motion.
- Experimental observations agreed with scaling analysis and numerical simulations.
Conclusions:
- Slip boundary conditions are crucial for accurate modeling of three-phase contact line motion.
- Controllable slip offers a method to manipulate microdroplet behavior.
- This work advances understanding of fluid interfaces on solid surfaces.
