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Diffusion from particle-coated drops: The subtle role of particle size

Alexandros T. Oratis, Matteo Camagna, Timo J. J. M. van Overveld, and Valeria Garbin*

  • *Contact author: v.garbin@tudelft.nl
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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 103602 – Published 13 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/gpjv-8nqr

Abstract

Many natural and industrial systems involve particle-laden interfaces. Because interfacial particles prevent the coalescence and coarsening of drops, they hold promise for various applications requiring stable emulsions. Despite their remarkable ability to stabilize emulsions, it remains challenging to characterize how particles influence the interfacial transport of dissolved solutes. Here we quantify the diffusion from a single particle-coated drop by confining it to a two-dimensional configuration. Using fluorescence microscopy, we extract the intensity profiles of the fluorescent dye as it diffuses from the drop, yielding spatiotemporal measurements of the concentration field. Over a range of particle sizes, the particles impose minimal resistance to diffusion. We explain this behavior with a mathematical model describing interfacial mass transfer across a particle-coated interface. The particle monolayer controls the temporal dynamics of interfacial flux, but hinders the overall transport only at extreme coverage fractions beyond the close-packing limit. This framework reveals why particles often fail to hinder diffusion, offering new pathways to harness mass transfer in particle-stabilized emulsions.

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Phys. Rev. Fluids 11, 103602– Published 13 October, 2026
  • Received 7 April 2026
  • Accepted 14 September 2026
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article's title, journal citation, and DOI.

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