Droplets on liquid surfaces: Dual equilibrium states and their energy barrier (original) (raw)

Floating aqueous droplets formed at the oil-air interface can stabilize in two distinct configurations: non-coalescent (NC) droplets and cap/bead (C/B) droplets. This study provides a general analytical solution for the energy and force dynamics governing these two states, highlighting that droplet release height influences the transition between configurations. Experimental data correlate the energy barrier related to these transitions with the conditions facilitating NC droplet formation, hinting at applications in droplet-based microfluidic systems.