# Kinetics of Droplet Cloaking and Wetting Ridge Growth on Lubricated Polymer Brushes Source: [Kinetics of Droplet Cloaking and Wetting Ridge Growth on Lubricated Polymer Brushes]() Collection index: [llms.txt]() Data updated: 2026-06-04T05:01:01.134Z Authors: Antonio Torregrosa Abell\\'an, Enqing Liu, Vincent Siekman, Frieder Mugele, Friederike Schmid, Rodrique G. M. Badr Published: 2026-06-02T11:45:36.000Z ## Abstract We investigate the kinetics of wetting ridge growth and droplet cloaking on lubricant-infused polymer brushes using a combination of experiments, molecular dynamics simulations, and theoretical modeling. We focus on three representative systems: DMSO-water on hexadecane-swollen PLMA (D-H), water on hexadecane-swollen PLMA (W-H), and water on PDMS (W-S). The dynamics are governed by the interplay between interfacial thermodynamics, brush elasticity, and transport of lubricant within the brush. Ridge growth is accompanied by the formation of depletion zones both beneath and outside the drop. This leads to a progressive slowdown governed by the need to transport lubricant through the brush. At sufficiently high swelling, we observe local separation of oil from the brush within the ridge, providing an additional mechanism for lubricant depletion. To rationalize these observations, we develop a continuum diffusion model based on the free energy of the brush and its coupling to the contact line. The model quantitatively captures the growth of the wetting ridge at intermediate and late times, demonstrating that the kinetics are largely controlled by diffusive transport within the brush. ## Recorded benchmark results A research result applies to its stated dataset, split, metric and evaluation configuration. Compare like-for-like settings, preserve the metric's unit and direction, and distinguish paper-reported results from independent reproduction. The best result recorded here is not a claim of exhaustive, current global coverage. ## Original sources and implementation [Original paper]() [PDF]()