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Continuous Optical Measurement of Internal Dynamics in Drying Colloidal Droplets
Jose Rafael Guzman-Sepulveda1, Ruitao Wu1, Aristide Dogariu1
1CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, 4304 Scorpius Street, Orlando, Florida 32826, United States.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry. B
|December 6, 2021
Summary
This study introduces spatiotemporal coherence-gated light scattering to observe colloidal droplet dynamics during drying. This non-invasive method provides real-time insights into optical and mechanical changes at the droplet interface.
Area of Science:
- Colloidal science
- Soft matter physics
- Optical metrology
Background:
- Studying colloidal systems during phase transitions requires non-invasive, continuous monitoring.
- Internal dynamics of drying colloidal droplets are difficult to access non-invasively.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate spatiotemporal coherence-gated light scattering for real-time analysis of drying colloidal droplets.
- To enable non-contact, label-free observation of optical and mechanical changes within colloidal systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilized spatiotemporal coherence-gated light scattering.
- Focused on a picoliter-sized volume at the droplet-substrate interface.
- Acquired signals continuously for real-time observation.
Main Results:
- Successfully monitored internal dynamics of drying colloidal droplets.
- Enabled real-time observation of optical and mechanical changes.
- Derived macroscopic descriptors from microscopic measurements.
Conclusions:
- Spatiotemporal coherence-gated light scattering offers a powerful tool for studying colloidal dynamics.
- The technique is non-invasive, label-free, and provides rich process information.
- The system's potential for integration with existing instruments facilitates comprehensive characterization.
