Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 6, 2026
08:53
Angle-resolved Photoemission Spectroscopy At Ultra-low Temperatures
Published on: October 9, 2012
18.2K
Paradox of Contact Angle Selection on Stretched Soft Solids
Jacco H Snoeijer1,2, Etienne Rolley3, Bruno Andreotti3
1Physics of Fluids Group, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede, Netherlands.
Physical Review Letters
|August 25, 2018
Summary
This study explains how liquid drops interact with soft elastic surfaces. Stretching the surface enhances liquid droplet movement, clarifying solid capillarity effects in soft materials.
Area of Science:
- Soft matter physics
- Interfacial mechanics
- Surface science
Background:
- Interfacial mechanics of soft elastic networks is crucial in biology and technology.
- Solid capillarity effects are debated due to strain-dependent surface energy.
Purpose of the Study:
- Derive equations for contact angle selection on elastic surfaces using variational principles.
- Investigate the relationship between substrate elasticity, contact line behavior, and the Shuttleworth effect.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical derivation from variational principles.
- Experimental validation using liquid droplets on silicone gel.
- Analysis of contact angle, pinning, hysteresis, and contact line mobility.
Main Results:
- Developed a theory governing contact angle selection on elastic surfaces.
- Established a condition linking substrate elasticity to pinning, hysteresis, and mobility.
- Observed enhanced contact line mobility upon substrate stretching.
Conclusions:
- The derived theory clarifies the role of solid capillarity in soft elastic systems.
- Experimental results validate the theoretical predictions for droplet behavior on elastic substrates.
- Substrate stretching significantly impacts contact line dynamics, offering insights for material design.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Contact Angle
21.1K
When a solid is dipped inside a liquid, the liquid surface becomes curved near the contact. For some solid–liquid interfaces, the liquid is pulled up along the solid, while for others, the liquid surface is convex or depressed near the solid surface. This phenomenon can be explained using the concept of cohesive and adhesive forces.
The adhesive force is the molecular force between molecules of different materials, that is, between the molecules of the solid and the liquid. The cohesive...
The adhesive force is the molecular force between molecules of different materials, that is, between the molecules of the solid and the liquid. The cohesive...
21.1K
02:18Network Covalent Solids
16.2K
Network covalent solids contain a three-dimensional network of covalently bonded atoms as found in the crystal structures of nonmetals like diamond, graphite, silicon, and some covalent compounds, such as silicon dioxide (sand) and silicon carbide (carborundum, the abrasive on sandpaper). Many minerals have networks of covalent bonds.
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
To break or to melt a covalent network solid, covalent bonds must be broken. Because covalent bonds are relatively strong, covalent network solids are typically...
16.2K
02:37Metallic Solids
20.7K
Metallic solids such as crystals of copper, aluminum, and iron are formed by metal atoms. The structure of metallic crystals is often described as a uniform distribution of atomic nuclei within a “sea” of delocalized electrons. The atoms within such a metallic solid are held together by a unique force known as metallic bonding that gives rise to many useful and varied bulk properties.
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....
All metallic solids exhibit high thermal and electrical conductivity, metallic luster, and malleability....
20.7K
02:54Molecular and Ionic Solids
20.1K
Crystalline solids are divided into four types: molecular, ionic, metallic, and covalent network based on the type of constituent units and their interparticle interactions.
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
Molecular Solids
Molecular crystalline solids, such as ice, sucrose (table sugar), and iodine, are solids that are composed of neutral molecules as their constituent units. These molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonds, which...
20.1K
02:22Structures of Solids
17.9K
Solids in which the atoms, ions, or molecules are arranged in a definite repeating pattern are known as crystalline solids. Metals and ionic compounds typically form ordered, crystalline solids. A crystalline solid has a precise melting temperature because each atom or molecule of the same type is held in place with the same forces or energy. Amorphous solids or non-crystalline solids (or, sometimes, glasses) which lack an ordered internal structure and are randomly arranged. Substances that...
17.9K
01:19Contact-dependent Signaling
47.5K
Contact-dependent signaling, as the name suggests, requires that communicating cells be in direct contact with each other. This is achieved either through receptor-ligand interactions or by specialized cytoplasmic channels that allow the flow of small molecules between cells. In animal cells, channels called gap junctions facilitate contact-dependent signaling in certain tissues, whereas, plasmodesmata perform a similar function in plants.
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
Gap Junctions
In animal cells, gap junctions are formed...
47.5K