In May and June 2025, Professor Plinio Innocenzi from the University of Sassari, Italy, was invited by Professor Xiaoming Sun’s NanoChem research group at Beijing University of Chemical Technology to deliver a distinguished online lecture series on droplet evaporation and self-assembly. The series drew enthusiastic participation from students and researchers across disciplines.
Starting with the fundamental principles of droplet evaporation, Professor Innocenzi offered a comprehensive explanation of key concepts such as surface tension, contact angle, and capillary effects. He placed particular emphasis on the origin and mechanism of the Marangoni effect—a flow phenomenon driven by surface tension gradients—which plays a crucial role in guiding the distribution and orientation of nanoparticles during evaporation. Vivid experimental demonstrations illustrated how factors such as droplet size, curvature, and environmental conditions influence evaporation dynamics and govern the formation of self-assembled structures.
The lectures also delved into the coffee-ring effect, a phenomenon driven by capillary flow and particle interactions that significantly impacts colloidal self-assembly. Professor Innocenzi demonstrated how careful manipulation of solvent properties, ambient humidity, and deposition speed can offer precise control over droplet condensation processes—paving the way for the fabrication of nanostructured materials with tailored functionalities. Such materials, he noted, hold great promise for applications in photonic sensing and biomedicine.
Another fascinating topic covered was the behavior of droplets at liquid interfaces, including lesser-known phenomena like the “breadcrumb effect” and their innovative implications in nanotechnology. Professor Innocenzi emphasized that a profound understanding of these physicochemical mechanisms is critical to the development of next-generation nanomaterials. He encouraged researchers to further explore the multiscale regulation of evaporation and self-assembly to unlock new frontiers in material design.
This engaging lecture series not only deepened participants’ insights into the relationship between droplet behavior and nanoscale assembly but also offered fresh perspectives for future innovation. Bridging science and art, the lectures revealed the elegant logic behind natural phenomena and opened exciting avenues for advanced materials research.
About the Speaker:
Plinio Innocenzi is a Full Professor of Materials Science at the University of Sassari, Italy, and Director of its Laboratory of Materials Science and Nanotechnology. He served as an associated foreign researcher at Kyoto University from 1992 to 1996 and as Science Counsellor at the Embassy of Italy in China from 2010 to 2018. A founding member and 2024 Fellow of the International Sol-Gel Society, he is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry and an Academician of the European Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on nanomaterials via self-assembly and nanochemistry, with applications in photonics and nanomedicine. Professor Innocenzi has published over 250 scientific articles and has received numerous accolades for his contributions to the field.