Self-Pinning by Colloids Confined at a Contact Line
Abstract
Colloidal particles suspended in a fluid usually inhibit complete wetting of the fluid on a solid surface and cause pinning of the contact line, known as self-pinning. We show differences in spreading and drying behaviors of pure and colloidal droplets using optical and confocal imaging methods. These differences come from spreading inhibition by colloids confined at a contact line. We propose a self-pinning mechanism based on spreading inhibition by colloids. We find a good agreement between the mechanism and the experimental result taken by directly tracking individual colloids near the contact lines of evaporating colloidal droplets.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- January 2013
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.028303
- Bibcode:
- 2013PhRvL.110b8303W
- Keywords:
-
- 47.57.J-;
- 68.08.Bc;
- 82.70.Dd;
- 82.70.Kj;
- Colloidal systems;
- Wetting;
- Colloids;
- Emulsions and suspensions