Microgel particle deposition patterns after impinging on nanofiber-based coatings

Abstract

The study focuses on predicting the hydrodynamics of sodium alginate-based microgel “liquid core–gel shell” particles for droplet-based bioprinting. Hydrophobic polytetrafluoroethylene nanofiber-based coating (NBC #1) and hydrophilic polycaprolactone–polyvinylpyrrolidone NBC #2 are manufactured to serve as the basis for microgel deposition. An approach is proposed to model the flow of a Maxwell gel-like liquid with different fluidity, surface tension, and initial velocity along an inhomogeneous interface after microgel particle–NBC collision. Wetting and anti-wetting pressure differences allow estimating liquid impalement into NBCs at We = 10–50. For NBC #2, the initial particle velocity plays mainly a decisive role in predicting the contact diameter and height at maximum spreading and receding. For NBC #1, the pinning is considered by introducing the complex parameter resolving particle inertia, microgel rheology and surface tension, and NBC characteristics. The flow along the porous interface physically correlates with the extended Freundlich model, explaining the surface inhomogeneity caused by multilayer adsorption.