Soft interfaces are found in a host of applications, from biological situations to adhesives and soft devices. However, understanding the wetting behavior of soft interfaces is an ongoing challenge. When materials are sufficiently soft, crosslinked solids can display liquid-like characteristics, like capillarity. When these crosslinked polymers are infused with a liquid swelling agent (i.e., gels), the swelling agent itself can also provide true liquid behavior, creating complex, multi-phase behavior. We show how both solid and liquid characteristics control the wetting on soft and swollen surfaces. In addition to polymer elasticity and degree of swelling, we demonstrate that surface tension, separation of the swelling agent, and osmotic pressure are important considerations. Based on confocal microscopy data, we propose a concept for phase separation and network deformation near the contact line. In dynamic cases, the amount of separation of the swelling agent becomes a function of not only the degree of swelling, but also the sliding drop velocity.

Wetting on soft and swollen polymeric surfaces

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