Controlling
the droplet evaporation on surfaces is desired to get
uniform depositions of materials in many applications, for example,
in two- and three-dimensional printing and biosensors. To explore
a new route to control droplet evaporation on surfaces and produce
asymmetric particles, sessile droplets of aqueous dispersions were
allowed to evaporate from surfaces coated with oil films. Here, we
applied 1–50 μm thick films of different silicone oils.
Two contact lines were observed during droplet evaporation: an apparent
liquid–liquid–air contact line and liquid–liquid–solid
contact line. Because of the oil meniscus covering part of the rim
of the drop, evaporation at the periphery is suppressed. Consequently,
the droplet evaporates mainly in the central region of the liquid–air
interface rather than at the droplet’s edge. Colloidal particles
migrate with the generated upward flow inside the droplet and are
captured by the receding liquid–air interface. A uniform deposition
ultimately forms on the substrate. With this straightforward approach,
asymmetric supraparticles have been successfully fabricated independent
of particle species.