Nonmonotonic Motion of Sliding Droplets on Strained Soft Solids

Soft materials are ubiquitous in technological applications that require deformability, for instance, in flexible, water-repellent coatings. However, the wetting properties of prestrained soft materials are only beginning to be explored. Here we study the sliding dynamics of droplets on prestrained soft silicone gels, both in tension and in compression. Intriguingly, in compression we find a nonmonotonic strain dependence of the sliding speed: mild compressions decelerate the droplets, but stronger compressions lead again to faster droplet motion. Upon further compression, creases nucleate under the droplets until, finally, the entire surface undergoes the creasing instability, causing a “run-and-stop” motion. We quantitatively elucidate the speed modification for moderate prestrains by incremental viscoelasticity, while the acceleration for larger prestrains turns out to be linked to the solid pressure, presumably through a lubrication effect of expelled oligomers. Published by the American Physical Society 2025