Influence of Fluid Flow on the Deposition of Soluble Surfactants Through Receding Contact Lines of Volatile Solvents

• Published in: Langmuir 2008-07, Vol.24 (13), p.6705-6711
• Main Authors: Beppler, Benjamin K, Varanasi, Kalyani S, Garoff, Stephen, Evmenenko, Guennadi, Woods, Kristina
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; DEPOSITION; DIP COATING; EVAPORATION; Exact sciences and technology; FLUID FLOW; General and physical chemistry; INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; Interfaces: Adsorption, Reactions, Films, Forces; ISLANDS; national synchrotron light source; Physical and chemical studies. Granulometry. Electrokinetic phenomena; ROLLING; SOLVENTS; SUBSTRATES; Surface physical chemistry; SURFACTANTS; THIN FILMS
• ISSN: 0743-7463; 1520-5827
• DOI: 10.1021/la8004882

Soluble surfactants are often deposited from volatile solvents through moving contact lines. In this study, we demonstrate that altering the flow field near such a contact line fundamentally changes the deposited surfactant structure. At slow contact line speeds, the substrate emerges dry. A densely packed, tilted monolayer of surfactant is deposited along the solid−vapor interface from the rolling fluid motion at the contact line. At faster speeds, the substrate emerges with an evaporating thin film entrained on its surface. Surfactant is confined in the film in a constantly increasing concentration environment. Monodisperse crystalline islands nucleate and grow on the surface with sizes and shapes controlled by varying the deposition conditions. These results contrast with disordered deposits that result from evaporation at a pinned contact line. Our results suggest that dip-coating with control of dipping speed and evaporation rate may provide better control of deposition through contact lines of evaporating solvents.