Suppression of the coffee-ring effect by shape-dependent capillary interactions

Peter J. Yunker (), Tim Still, Matthew A. Lohr and A. G. Yodh
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Peter J. Yunker: University of Pennsylvania
Tim Still: University of Pennsylvania
Matthew A. Lohr: University of Pennsylvania
A. G. Yodh: University of Pennsylvania

Nature, 2011, vol. 476, issue 7360, 308-311

Abstract: Coffee rings have hidden depths When a drop of coffee dries, a halo of particles accumulates at the drop's edge. This 'coffee-ring effect', first described formally in a Nature paper in 1997, is a common occurrence when a solution of suspended colloidal particles evaporates. Far from being just a household curiosity, it has turned out to have relevance for many applications in which a uniform particle deposition is required, such as inkjet printing, assembly of photonics components and manufacture of DNA chips. In this issue, Peter Yunker and colleagues show that ellipsoidal particles suppress the coffee-ring effect. Attractive interparticle interactions between ellipsoids are sufficiently strong to counteract the forces that drive spherical particles towards the drop's edge as the drop evaporates. The coffee-ring effect can be restored for ellipsoids in solution containing surfactant, and 'designed' mixtures of spheres and ellipsoids can lead to uniform deposition.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/nature10344

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