Theory of Shape-Shifting Droplets
Published version
Peer-reviewed
Repository URI
Repository DOI
Change log
Authors
Haas, PA
Goldstein, RE
Smoukov, SK
Cholakova, D
Denkov, N
Abstract
Recent studies of cooled oil emulsion droplets uncovered transformations into a host of flattened shapes with straight edges and sharp corners, driven by a partial phase transition of the bulk liquid phase. Here, we explore theoretically the simplest geometric competition between this phase transition and surface tension in planar polygons and recover the observed sequence of shapes and their statistics in qualitative agreement with experiments. Extending the model to capture some of the three-dimensional structure of the droplets, we analyze the evolution of protrusions sprouting from the vertices of the platelets and the topological transition of a puncturing planar polygon.
Description
Keywords
0306 Physical Chemistry (incl. Structural)
Journal Title
Physical Review Letters
Conference Name
Journal ISSN
0031-9007
1079-7114
1079-7114
Volume Title
118
Publisher
American Physical Society
Publisher DOI
Sponsorship
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/M017982/1)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/N509620/1)
EPSRC (1345122)
European Research Council (280078)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation (692146)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/N509620/1)
EPSRC (1345122)
European Research Council (280078)
European Commission Horizon 2020 (H2020) Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation (692146)
This work was supported in part by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (P. A. H.), an Established Career Fellowship from the EPSRC (R. E. G.), and the European Research Council (Grant EMATTER No. 280078 to S. K. S.).