Thermo- and soluto-capillarity: Passive and active drops

Adv Colloid Interface Sci. 2017 Sep:247:52-80. doi: 10.1016/j.cis.2017.07.025. Epub 2017 Jul 20.

Abstract

A survey is provided of a variety of problems where a passive or an active drop experiences directed motion consequence of the action of an external or internal agent or a combination of both. An active drop is capable of reacting by engendering autonomous, self-propelled motion in favor or against the agent. The phenomena involved offer diverse complexity but one way or another the drop motion finally rests on thermo- or soluto-capillarity hence on interfacial tension gradients. Accordingly, here a minimal mathematical framework underlying such drop motions is provided when direct external temperature or solute gradients, illumination, internal heat generation or surface chemical reaction are incorporated into the physico-chemical-hydrodynamics.

Keywords: Bubbles; Drops; Laser; Marangoni effect; Soluto-capillarity; Thermo-capillarity.

Publication types

  • Review