A theoretical analysis of the deposition of colloidal particles from a volatile liquid meniscus in a rectangular chamber

Abstract

Traditionally, experiments of pattern deposition are conducted using volatile suspensions or solutions in sessile drops. However, several recent studies on the pattern deposition of colloidal particles, bio-molecular films, and membranes employed volatile carrier liquids in micro-chambers or micro-channels with a rectangular perimeter. We show that the local rate of evaporation from a concave meniscus of liquid in a chamber increases in the vicinity of the contact line like X−1/2 for a vanishingly small three phase contact angle, where the contact line is positioned at X = 0. This result is a reminiscent of the local rate of evaporation of liquid from a convex sessile drop. Moreover, an increase in the magnitude of the contact angle reduces the singularity in the rate of evaporation near the contact line. We employ our findings to study the deposition of colloidal particles from a volatile liquid meniscus in the presence of particle coagulation and particle adsorption to the substrate of the chamber, while demonstrating the convective accumulation of particles near the pinned contact line.