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Chemomechanical motility modes of partially wetting liquid droplets

Florian Voss1,* and Uwe Thiele1,2,3,†

  • 1Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Münster, Wilhelm-Klemm-Strasse 9, 48149 Münster, Germany
  • 2Center for Nonlinear Science (CeNoS), University of Münster, Corrensstrasse 2, 48149 Münster, Germany
  • 3Center for Multiscale Theory and Computation (CMTC), University of Münster, Corrensstrasse 40, 48149 Münster, Germany

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 10, 094005 – Published 16 September, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/f3ck-dx5c

Abstract

We consider a simple thermodynamically consistent model that captures the self-organized chemomechanical coupling resulting from the interplay between autocatalytically reacting surfactants, the Marangoni effect, and wetting dynamics. An ambient bath of surfactant acts as a chemostat and provides the system with chemical fuel, thereby driving it away from thermodynamic equilibrium. We find that a positive feedback loop between the local reactions and the Marangoni effect induces surface tension gradients that allow for self-propelled droplets. Besides simple directional motion, we find crawling and shuttling droplets as well as droplets performing random walks, thus exploring the entire substrate. We study the occurring chemomechanical motility modes and show how the observed dynamic states emerge from local and global bifurcations. Due to the underlying generic thermodynamic structure, we expect that our results are relevant not only to directly related biomimetic droplet systems but also to structurally similar systems like chemically active phase-separating mixtures.

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 10, 094005– Published 16 September, 2025
  • Received 4 April 2025
  • Accepted 15 August 2025
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