Molecular origin of fast evaporation at the solid–water–vapor line in a sessile droplet

Abstract

By analyzing the behaviors of water molecules at the solid–water–vapor contact line, we explore the molecular origin of large evaporation rates at the contact line and find new ways to increase the evaporation of the droplet. In contrast to previous models considering macroscopic surroundings and the geometry of the droplet, here we study the behaviors of water molecules by introducing cohesive energy which includes interactions of water molecules with both other water molecules in the droplet and atoms in the substrate. Molecules at the contact line bear the smallest evaporating energy barrier and therefore, possess the largest possibility to evaporate. Further analyses show that the evaporation rate of the droplet is enhanced through the large length of the contact line. These analyses are corroborated by experiments, where the evaporation rate of the droplet is enhanced up to 30% by incorporating hollow glass spheres in the droplet. Our theoretical and experimental efforts illustrate the underlying molecular mechanisms of large evaporation rates of a droplet, providing new avenues to accelerate droplet evaporation.