On the nature of the breath figures self-assembly in evaporated polymer solutions: Revisiting physical factors governing the patterning

The breath-figures self-assembly process was studied. Polystyrene and polycarbonate were dissolved in a diversity of solvents including, acetone, dichloromethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, tetrahydrofuran, toluene, xylenes, carbon disulfide, and N-N dimethylformamide, and then were evaporated in a humid atmosphere. It was demonstrated that all solutions when sufficiently pre-cooled gave rise to typical "breath-figures" patterns. Thus, the decisive factor affecting the formation of the breath-figures pattern is the temperature of the solution. Wetting properties of the manufactured patterns are reported.