Related papers: Patterning droplets with durotaxis
A fluid droplet may exhibit self-propelled motion by modifying the wetting properties of the substrate. We propose a novel model for droplet propagation upon a terraced landscape of ordered layers formed as a result of surface freezing…
A fluid droplet in general deforms, if subject to active driving, such as a finite slip velocity or active tractions on its interface. We show that these deformations and their dynamics can be computed analytically in a perturbation theory…
The spreading of a pure, volatile liquid on a wettable substrate has been studied in extensive detail. Here we show that the addition of a miscible, non-volatile liquid can strongly alter the contact line dynamics and the final liquid…
Microdrop impact and spreading phenomena are explored as an interface formation process using a recently developed computational framework. The accuracy of the results obtained from this framework for the simulation of high deformation…
To understand the non-equilibrium relaxation dynamics of a liquid droplet on a switchable substrate the interplay of different length- and time-scales needs to be understood. We present a method to map the microscopic information, resulting…
Many microorganisms, with phytoplankton and zooplankton as prominent examples, display phototactic behaviour, that is, the ability to perform directed motion within a light gradient. Here we experimentally demonstrate that sensing of light…
We study experimentally the dynamics of a water droplet on a tilted and vertically oscillating rigid fibre. As we vary the frequency and amplitude of the oscillations the droplet transitions between different modes: harmonic pumping,…
The surface tension of partially wetting droplets deforms soft substrates. These deformations are usually localized to a narrow region near the contact line, forming a so-called `elastocapillary ridge.' When a droplet slides along a…
Motivated by recent experiments on objects moved vertically through a bed a glass beads, a simple model to study granular drag is proposed. The model consists of dimers on a slanted two-dimensional lattice through which objects are dragged…
Capillary forces guide the motion of biomolecular condensates, water-borne insects, and breakfast cereal. These surface-mediated interactions can be harnessed to build units into materials with exotic properties deriving from mesoscale…
We present a novel experimental system that can be used to study the dynamics of picoliter droplet spreading over substrates with topographic variations. We concentrate on spreading of a droplet within a recessed stadium-shaped pixel, with…
We consider the dynamics of thin two-dimensional viscous droplets on chemically heterogeneous surfaces moving under the combined effects of slip, mass transfer and capillarity. The resulting long-wave evolution equation for the droplet…
The steady state motion of cylindrical droplets under the action of external body force is investigated both theoretically and via lattice Boltzmann simulation. As long as the shape-invariance of droplet is maintained, the droplet's…
Many transport processes in nature take place on substrates, often considered as unidimensional lanes. These unidimensional substrates are typically non-static: affected by a fluctuating environment, they can undergo conformational changes.…
Biological cells use droplets to separate components and spatially control their interior. Experiments demonstrate that the complex, crowded cellular environment affects the droplet arrangement and their sizes. To understand this behavior,…
Active systems, from bacterial suspensions to cellular monolayers, are continuously driven out of equilibrium by local injection of energy from their constituent elements and exhibit turbulent-like and chaotic patterns. Here we demonstrate…
The nature of adhesion of droplets to surfaces is a long pending scientific question. With the evolution of complex surfaces, quantification and prediction of these forces become intricate. Nevertheless, understanding these forces is highly…
Droplet formation has emerged as an essential concept for the spatiotemporal organisation of biomolecules in cells. However, classical descriptions of droplet dynamics based on passive liquid-liquid phase separation cannot capture the…
Recently, there is much interest in droplet condensation on soft or liquid/liquid-like substrates. Droplets can deform soft and liquid interfaces resulting in a wealth of phenomena not observed on hard, solid surfaces (e.g., increased…
Liquid diodes are surface structures that facilitate the flow of liquids in a specific direction. When these structures are within the capillary regime, they promote liquid transport without the need for external forces. In nature, they are…