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Patterns in Drying Drops Dictated by Curvature-Driven Particle Transport
Ranajit Mondal1, Shivani Semwal1, P Logesh Kumar1
1Polymer Engineering and Colloid Science Laboratory, Department of Chemical Engineering , Indian Institute of Technology Madras , Chennai 600036 , Tamil Nadu , India.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|August 28, 2018
Summary
Researchers discovered a new way to control particle patterns during droplet evaporation. By manipulating drop shape with gravity, they achieved distinct "coffee-eye" patterns, differing from typical "coffee-ring" formations.
Area of Science:
- Colloid Science
- Fluid Dynamics
- Materials Science
Background:
- Evaporation of colloidal droplets generates patterns driven by internal flows and advective particle transport.
- Current methods for particle self-assembly and pattern formation in printing and coating are limited by transport mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and investigate a novel particle transport route mediated by interfacial adsorption and curvature-driven migration.
- To explore the influence of gravity-induced drop shape changes on colloidal pattern formation during solvent evaporation.
Main Methods:
- Experimental investigation of colloidal dispersions in sessile and pendant drops.
- Utilizing gravity-induced drop shape deformation to alter interfacial and bulk transport dynamics.
- Employing scaling arguments to support experimental observations of pattern formation.
Main Results:
- A new mechanism of interface-mediated particle transport was identified, involving adsorption and curvature-driven migration.
- Gravity-induced deformation of pendant drops resulted in unique "coffee-eye" patterns, contrasting with the "coffee-ring" patterns from sessile drops.
- The interplay between bulk and interfacial transport significantly influences the final particle distribution and pattern structure.
Conclusions:
- The study reveals a novel method for controlling colloidal particle patterns by exploiting interfacial transport and gravity effects.
- Gravity-induced drop deformation is a critical, previously neglected factor in determining patterns formed during colloidal droplet evaporation.
- The findings offer new possibilities for designing advanced printing, coating, and self-assembly processes with controlled particle distributions.
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