Impact Behaviors on Superhydrophobic Surfaces for Water Droplets of Asymmetric Double-Chain Quaternary Ammonium Surfactants

Improving water droplet deposition on superhydrophobic surfaces is essential in many agricultural and industrial spraying processes. Adding surfactants is generally considered a simple way to enhance the wetting ability of droplets on surfaces. However, finding effective surfactants for the deposition and spread of high-speed impacting droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces remains a challenge. Here, we propose a model to predict the deposition results of impacting droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces by studying the droplets containing a series of asymmetric double-chain quaternary ammonium ionic surfactants with different chain lengths. By introducing the molecular diffusion rate, the ability of molecules to reduce surface tension, as well as the stability of aggregates into the model, the impact outcomes of surfactant droplets on the superhydrophobic surface are described and predicted. This study provides a beneficial blueprint for the selection of surfactants and the control of droplet impact behavior on superhydrophobic surfaces.