Energy dissipation of a contact line moving on a nanotopographical defect

Understanding the origin of the dissipative mechanisms that control the dynamics of a contact line is a real challenge. In order to study the energy dissipation at the contact line when a moving meniscus encounters topographical defects, we developed atomic force microscopy (AFM) experiments using nanofibers with nanometer scale defects. These experiments realized with three liquids are performed in two AFM modes: the contact mode (C-AFM) is used to measure the energy associated with the contact angle hysteresis in the limit of a static situation, deduced from advancing and receding dipping experiments on an isolated defect; the frequency-modulation mode (FM-AFM) is performed at different amplitudes and then velocities to measure the energy dissipated as the contact line moves over the same defect. Strong dissipation peaks appear above a threshold amplitude characteristic of the liquid and the defect, which is determined by the width of the hysteresis measured in statics. Furthermore, the dissipation energy of the moving contact line measured in dynamics is equal to the hysteresis capillary energy whatever the amplitude and is therefore independent of the contact line velocity. These results point out that the defect contribution to dissipation energy of a moving contact line on real surfaces is only governed by the pinning-depinning energy with no contribution of viscous effects.