Tuning of microcapsule adhesion by varying the capsule-wall thickness

Nils Elsner, Frédéric Dubreuil, and Andreas Fery
Phys. Rev. E 69, 031802 – Published 24 March 2004
PDFExport Citation

Abstract

The adhesion area and topology of spherical hollow polyelectrolyte shells adhering to flat glass or polyelectrolyte-covered glass surfaces are studied. Strong adhesion is found for anionic poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate)-terminated shells on cationic poly(ethylene imine)-covered glass, while no adhesion of those shells on uncoated glass is found. The adhering shells are deformed and obtain a truncated sphere topology with a circular adhesion disk. The radius of the adhesion disks can reach up to 50% of the shell radius for shells of several tens of microns. The dependency of the size of adhesion areas on the capsule radius and capsule wall thickness is also investigated. Remarkably, the size of the adhesion areas is found to depend strongly on the wall thickness, which offers interesting perspectives for controlling capsule adhesion properties. A model based on the energy balance of deformation and wetting energies is presented that explains the observed trends.

  • Received 2 July 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.69.031802

©2004 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

Nils Elsner, Frédéric Dubreuil, and Andreas Fery*

  • Department of Interfaces, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, 14424 Potsdam, Germany

  • *Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. Email address: andreas.fery@mpikg-golm.mpg.de

References (Subscription Required)

Click to Expand
Issue

Vol. 69, Iss. 3 — March 2004

Reuse & Permissions
Access Options
Author publication services for translation and copyediting assistance advertisement

Authorization Required


×
×

Images

×

Sign up to receive regular email alerts from Physical Review E

Log In

Cancel
×

Search


Article Lookup

Paste a citation or DOI

Enter a citation
×