Modelling receding contact lines on superhydrophobic surfaces

Abstract

We use mesoscale simulations to study the depinning of a receding contact line on a superhydrophobic surface patterned by a regular array of posts. In order that the simulations are feasible, we introduce a novel geometry where a column of liquid dewets a capillary bounded by a superhydrophobic plane which faces a smooth hydrophilic wall of variable contact angle. We present results for the dependence of the depinning angle on the shape and spacing of the posts, and discuss the form of the meniscus at depinning. We find, in agreement with [17], that the local post concentration is a primary factor in controlling the depinning angle, and show that the numerical results agree well with recent experiments. We also present two examples of metastable pinned configurations where the posts are partially wet.