Issue 7, 2019

Active matter alters the growth dynamics of coffee rings

Abstract

How particles are deposited at the edge of evaporating droplets, i.e. the coffee ring effect, plays a crucial role in phenomena as diverse as thin-film deposition, self-assembly, and biofilm formation. Recently, microorganisms have been shown to passively exploit and alter these deposition dynamics to increase their survival chances under harshening conditions. Here, we show that, as the droplet evaporation rate slows down, bacterial mobility starts playing a major role in determining the growth dynamics of the edge of drying droplets. Such motility-induced dynamics can influence several biophysical phenomena, from the formation of biofilms to the spreading of pathogens in humid environments and on surfaces subject to periodic drying. Analogous dynamics in other active matter systems can be exploited for technological applications in printing, coating, and self-assembly, where the standard coffee-ring effect is often a nuisance.

Graphical abstract: Active matter alters the growth dynamics of coffee rings

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
02 Jul 2018
Accepted
04 Dec 2018
First published
20 Dec 2018

Soft Matter, 2019,15, 1488-1496

Active matter alters the growth dynamics of coffee rings

T. Andac, P. Weigmann, S. K. P. Velu, E. Pinçe, G. Volpe, G. Volpe and A. Callegari, Soft Matter, 2019, 15, 1488 DOI: 10.1039/C8SM01350K

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements