Dresden 2026 – scientific programme

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DY: Fachverband Dynamik und Statistische Physik

DY 10: Wetting, Fluidics and Liquids at Interfaces and Surfaces I (joint session CPP/DY)

DY 10.5: Talk

Monday, March 9, 2026, 10:45–11:00, ZEU/0260

Wetting of Swelling Polyelectrolyte Surfaces on a Macroscopic and Nanoscopic Scale — •Mona Meltschoch and Regine von Klitzing — Soft Matter at Interfaces, Institute for Condensed Matter Physics, TU Darmstadt, Hochschulstraße 8, D-64289 Darmstadt, Germany

Wetting on adaptive polymer interfaces plays an important role in soft matter physics, particularly when spreading is affected by substrate hydration. Polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) are suitable model systems because they absorb water and evolve across multiple time scales, creating a link between nanoscale polymer mobility and macroscopic contact line motion. PEM films were prepared by the layer-by-layer method, and their wetting behaviour was examined at different scales. Nanoscale morphology and hydration were characterised by atomic force microscopy (AFM), while macroscopic wetting was followed via optical contact angle (CA) measurements. Previous studies report a decrease in water CA on PSS-terminated PEMs under humid atmosphere. To assess how film architecture affects wetting, PEMs with varying bilayer numbers and terminal charge (PSS vs. PAH) were fabricated, showing smooth surfaces and a linear thickness increase. Current work explores AFM beyond static surface imaging by applying it directly to droplets on PEM films. This approach aims to track local swelling, interface deformation and contact line behaviour under liquid exposure. Measurements with different droplet liquids are being established, with the long-term goal to link nanoscale hydration dynamics to macroscopic changes in contact angle and wetting evolution.

Keywords: Polyelectrolyte Multilayers; Atomic Force Microscope; Multiscale Characterisation; Wetting Phenomena; Layer-by-Layer Deposition