Understand the impact of nanoparticles on the surface wettability via droplet dynamics

Wettability is one of the key parameters that affects the shape of droplets on a surface and thus affects the droplet interactions. Wettability is found to have effects in cell membrane remodeling, water transport in earth soil, protein and biomolecular adsorption, and nanomaterial synthesis. Various properties have been observed to manipulate the wettability of liquid droplets affecting their behavior and can change the contact angle between the liquid droplets and solid surface, thus changing the wettability. Seminal studies have focused on the effect of surfactant or nanoparticles on wettability and the contact angle, but the dynamic and temporal behavior of contact angle variations as a function of time is not well understood. In particular, the mechanism behind the impact of those chemicals on the droplet contact angle is yet to be explored and there is lacking quantitative study of the impact of surfactants and nanoparticles on surface wettability. The objective of this research is to examine the behavior of surfactants and nanoparticles with a specific emphasis on their effectiveness in wettability alteration through experimental measurements via the drop shape analyzer. The results obtained from this study is expected to advance the fundamental understanding of behavior of liquid droplets in contact with solid surfaces with addition of various chemical additives.