Elastocapillary-driven Deposition of Liquid Drops in Polymer Gels

The deposition of a finite volume of liquid at a specific location within an elastic gel offers novel opportunities for device fabrication and materials properties measurement. We present a systematic study of the controlled deposition of liquid droplets within a polymer hydrogel. With parameters, such as pressure and viscosity of the liquid, the size and spacing of deposited liquid droplets can be controlled. To understand this process, we propose an elastocapillary-based mechanism that balances the surface tension and viscosity of the liquid with the elasticity of the gel.