Abstract
The formations of desiccation cracks and their patterns in drying droplets of protein solutions are studied experimentally. The solvent evaporation causes the dehydration self-organization phenomenon in colloidal droplets, followed by the formations of desiccation cracks. Two categories of highly ordered crack patterns, which we name “daisy” and “wavy-ring”, are identified in the drying droplets. We explore the shifting of crack patterns from the “daisy” to the “wavy-ring” by varying the concentration of protein droplets. The results show that the concentration correlates with the pattern of deposition film directly, and modulates the periodicity of the crack pattern. We investigate the formations and periodicities of these two kinds of crack patterns, and obtain the scaling law of periodicity of the “wavy-ring” crack pattern. The relationship between the deposition pattern and the highly ordered crack patterns is also examined. This study will help in understanding the formation mechanisms of crack patterns in drying droplets of protein solutions and assist the future design of crack patterns in practical applications.
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Gao, M., Huang, X. & Zhao, Y. Formation of wavy-ring crack in drying droplet of protein solutions. Sci. China Technol. Sci. 61, 949–958 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-017-9202-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11431-017-9202-y