Nanodroplets of Polymer Solutions on Solid Surfaces: Equilibrium Structures and Solvent Evaporation

Macromolecules, vol. 53, pp. 10882–10897

Abstract

We propose computer simulations revealing the internal structure of liquid droplets formed by polymer solutions. Both suspended and droplets placed on a solid surface are simulated. In the case of droplets, which are in equilibrium with the solvent vapor (nonvolatile droplets), distribution of polymer chains is studied versus thermodynamic quality of the solvent (good and bad) and interactions of the polymer and the solvent with the surface. Both swollen and collapsed states of the chains within the droplet, their localization at the liquid–vapor interface, and adsorption on the solid surface are predicted. We construct various diagrams of states of the droplets. Then, we simulate a fast solvent evaporation from the droplet placed on a solid surface and study nonequilibrium polymer structures. The conditions for the appearance of a coffee ring (a ring-wise distribution of polymer after solvent evaporation) and homogeneous polymer layer are predicted.

Authors 2

1. Vitaly S. Kravchenko Aachen DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials

   DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials · Russian Academy of Sciences · Lomonosov Moscow State University · A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds

   Affiliation as printed

   A. N. Nesmeyanov Institute of Organoelement Compounds, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation

   DWI − Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Aachen 52056, Germany

   Physics Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation

2. Igor I. Potemkin corresponding Aachen DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials

   DWI – Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials · Lomonosov Moscow State University · South Ural State University

   Affiliation as printed

   DWI − Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials, Aachen 52056, Germany

   National Research South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk 454080, Russian Federation

   Physics Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russian Federation