Controlled stretching and splitting behaviors of nanodroplets by designing surface wettability patterns

YS Wen and YS Liu, CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE, 273, 118635 (2023).

DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2023.118635

The stretching and splitting behaviors of nanodroplets can be achieved and further controlled through designing two hydrophilic fan-shaped zones symmetrically distributed on the hydrophobic substrate. Comprehensive molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are implemented to validate this idea. When a nanodroplet is wetted on such surfaces, it will be stretched, and its shape is not a commonly recognized spherical cap. It is verified that the wettability contrast between the hydrophobic substrate and the hydrophilic zones plays an important role in the stretching and splitting behaviors. Greater wettability contrasts lead to more stretched nanodroplets. While the wettability contrast has a critical value, after which the droplet will split into two smaller droplets. This critical value is quantified and the boundary between the stretching and splitting behaviors is illustrated. This proposed idea is further implemented to control deposition patterns of nanoparticles by liquid evaporation, which manifests that abundant deposition patterns can be achieved. (c) 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

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