Abnormal Drop Formation from Copper Films via Detachment

Contacted liquid fluids, in most cases, have the tendency to directly merge into a single larger fluid to minimize the surface energy. We present an abnormal drop formation process of contacted Cu liquid films with a radius of 101.7 Å or larger on carbon substrates by using molecular dynamics simulations. The formation process consists of consecutive pinch-off and full coalescence stages connected by detachment. The dominant motions of the bridge, away from the center and downward to the substrate, lead to the pinch-off of the initially connected droplets. The motions of the droplets, which are near each other at all times, leads to the repeated contact and full coalescence of the separated droplets. The abnormality is attributed to the competition between the motions of the droplets and the tiny liquid bridge that connects the droplets. The influence of the surface structures of substrates, especially carbon nanotubes, on the formation behavior is discussed by analyzing the mean square displacement, velocity fields, and density and scaling profiles. This study provides guidance for controlling drop formation behavior by regulating the surface structures of carbon substrates.