Particle Deposition in Drying Drops of Colloidal Suspensions Containing Different Surfactants

When a drop of water containing small solid particles dries, most of the solid material is deposited in a ring-shape stain after evaporation (the so-called coffee ring), driven by initial contact line pinning and a subsequent outward-flow. The fluid dynamics and, hence, the deposition mechanism in such suspensions can be dramatically changed when surfactants are introduced into the system. In a colloidal model-system, the ionic sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) produces a concentration-driven Marangoni flow counteracting the outward-flow of the coffee ring effect. SDS locally concentrates at the air/water interface next to the contact line, leading to a reduced local surface tension. Thus, a circulating flow (`Marangoni eddy') is introduced that prevents particles from deposition. This flow is visualized by the movements of the dragged particles using video microscopy. Other surfactants can influence this highly non-equilibrium systems in completely other ways. E.g., the non-ionic Polaxamer block-copolymer surfactants lead to a uniform particle deposition, which we explain by hydrophilization of the colloidal particles. Controlling the solid deposition in drying drops is of major importance for many technical applications.