How Liquid Marbles Break Down: Direct Evidence for Two Breakage Scenarios.

Liquid marbles are nonsticking droplets wrapped with hydrophobic nano- to micrometer particles and are expected to be useful for various applications, especially in industrial and biomedical fields. However, the practical use of liquid marbles is limited by their fragility. In this study, the dynamics of particle monolayer-stabilized liquid marble breakage upon impacting a solid surface are monitored in situ by high-speed interfacial microscopy. The experiments show that the breakage of liquid marbles can be induced by either i) cracking or ii) water penetration depending on the impact energy. The applicable scenario is determined by whether a jamming transition of the wrapping particles occurs during impact. The breakage mechanisms provide insights on how to improve the robustness of liquid marbles in accordance with these scenarios.