Recent advances in and future challenges for mesoscopic hydrodynamic modelling of complex wetting

Abstract

We highlight some recent developments that widen the scope and reach of mesoscopic thin-film (or long-wave) hydrodynamic models employed to describe the dynamics of thin films, drops and contact lines of simple and complex liquids on solid substrates. The basis of the discussed developments is the reformulation of various mesoscopic thin-film hydrodynamic models as gradient dynamics on underlying energy functionals. After briefly presenting the general approach, the following sections discuss how to improve these models by amending the energy functional and the mobility function, how to obtain gradient dynamics models for some complex liquids, and how to incorporate processes beyond relaxational dynamics.