Department of Physics, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
Department of Physics, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.; Graduate program in Biomolecular Science and Engineering, University of California at Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA.
Controlling interfaces of phase-separating fluid mixtures is key to the creation of diverse functional soft materials. Traditionally, this is accomplished with surface-modifying chemical agents. Using experiment and theory, we studied how mechanical activity shapes soft interfaces that separate an active and a passive fluid. Chaotic flows in the active fluid give rise to giant interfacial fluctuations and noninertial propagating active waves. At high activities, stresses disrupt interface continuity and drive droplet generation, producing an emulsion-like active state composed of finite-sized droplets. When in contact with a solid boundary, active interfaces exhibit nonequilibrium wetting transitions, in which the fluid climbs the wall against gravity. These results demonstrate the promise of mechanically driven interfaces for creating a new class of soft active matter.
@article{osti_1980747,
author = {Adkins, Raymond and Kolvin, Itamar and You, Zhihong and Witthaus, Sven and Marchetti, M. Cristina and Dogic, Zvonimir},
title = {Dynamics of active liquid interfaces},
annote = {Controlling interfaces of phase-separating fluid mixtures is key to the creation of diverse functional soft materials. Traditionally, this is accomplished with surface-modifying chemical agents. Using experiment and theory, we studied how mechanical activity shapes soft interfaces that separate an active and a passive fluid. Chaotic flows in the active fluid give rise to giant interfacial fluctuations and noninertial propagating active waves. At high activities, stresses disrupt interface continuity and drive droplet generation, producing an emulsion-like active state composed of finite-sized droplets. When in contact with a solid boundary, active interfaces exhibit nonequilibrium wetting transitions, in which the fluid climbs the wall against gravity. These results demonstrate the promise of mechanically driven interfaces for creating a new class of soft active matter.},
doi = {10.1126/science.abo5423},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1980747},
journal = {Science},
issn = {ISSN 0036-8075},
number = {6607},
volume = {377},
place = {United States},
publisher = {AAAS},
year = {2022},
month = {08}}
Coelho, Rodrigo C. V.; Araújo, Nuno A. M.; Telo da Gama, Margarida M.
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 379, Issue 2208https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2020.0394