Addition of nanopacticles in a base solvent leads to suspensions with enhanced physiochemical properties, compared to base solvent. This new type of suspensions is called nanofluids, with applications ranging from biomedicine to automotives. As a consequence extensive research is being conducted in the field, in particular, on the evaporation of these fluids as it leads to well-defined and highly ordered coffee-rings. However, the exact physics governing this phenomenon remain elusive. The goal of this experimental investigation is to elucidate how various parameters affect the progression of nanofluid coffee-stain formation. Examination of the coffee-ring structuring, produced by the free evaporation of sessile droplets containing nanoparticles, revealed an unexpected, disordered region at the exterior edge of the ring. A self-assembly mechanism with two components, particle velocity and wedge constraints, was proposed to describe the deposition of particles at contact lines of evaporating drops. Environmental pressure was used as a method to control particle crystallinity in the coffee-rings. Essentially, evaporation rate and pressure were found to be inversely proportional. Macroscopically, lowering pressure led to a transition from “stick-slip” to constant pinning. Nanoscopically, lowering pressure promoted crystallinity. Findings supported the proposed, in this thesis, particle self-assembly mechanism. Particle aspect ratio and flexibility were subsequently examined. Pinning strength was found to be a function of particle aspect ratio and rigidity, leading to constant pinning. The proposed, in this thesis, particle self-assembly mechanism was found to be applicable to a variety of aspect ratios and flexibilities. Lastly, particulate crystals grew following different pathways depending on particle flexibility.

Les biopuces connaissent un grand essor depuis quelques années avec des applications possibles pour l’ADN, les protéines et les oligosaccharides. Une puce à oligosaccharides présente des difficultés par rapport à une puce à ADN notamment par les contraintes en température et il existe moins de travaux dans ce domaine. Ce travail est donc consacré à l’étude d’une puce à oligosaccharide, par synthèse supportée et par masquage avec un film de polymère. Le procédé de fabrications est particulièrement détaillé.Nous étudions tout d’abord expérimentalement la formation d’un film de polymère obtenu par évaporation d’une goutte de solution polymérique sur une surface structurée chimiquement(zone de mouillabilité différente) en suivant son évolution transitoire. Nous montrons que ce type de surface hétérogène est particulièrement adapté pour la fabrication de biopuces.D’autre part, nous réalisons un modèle numérique de l’évaporation d’une goutte de solution polymérique sur une surface chauffée à partir de la méthode de la lubrification et d’un modèle de « hauteur de résine ». Les résultats expérimentaux et de simulation numérique sont comparés et montrent un bon accord qualitatif sur la forme des films de polymères résultant de l’évaporation.Dans ce travail, la synthèse supportée de biopuces à oligosaccharide est menée à bien en utilisant des polymères et des surfaces judicieusement choisies. En particulier, la technique de masquage par film de polymère se révèle être très bien adaptée pour protéger les oligomères à la fois à hautes et à très basses températures. / Biochips are experiencing recently a great success with possible applications for DNA,proteins and oligosaccharides. An oligosaccharide chip presents difficulties compared to aDNA chip because of the many temperature constraints and less work has been performed inthis area. This work is devoted to the study of a oligosaccharide chip fabricated par supportedsynthesis and protected with a polymer film. The manufacturing process is particularlydetailed.We first examine experimentally the formation of a polymer film obtained by evaporation of adrop of polymer solution on a chemically structured surface (zone of different wettability) byfollowing its transient evolution. We show that this type of heterogeneous surface isparticularly suitable for manufacturing biochips. On the other hand, we propose a numericalmodel of the evaporation of a drop of polymer solution on a heated surface using thelubrication method and a “height of resin”. The experimental results and numericalsimulations are compared and show good qualitative agreement on the shape of the polymerfilms obtained after evaporation.In this work, the supported synthesis of oligosaccharide microarrays was carried out usingpolymers and surfaces which have been carefully chosen in preliminary testing. In particular,the masking technique using polymer film turns out to be highly suitable for protectingoligomers at both high and very low temperatures.

Inkjet printing is a versatile manufacturing method with applications beyond its traditional application in graphics and text printing, particularly in structural and functional materials. This thesis aims to enhance the understanding of DOD inkjet printing processes by investigating the behaviour of solvent mixtures and nanoparticle suspensions to identify the key parameters affecting drop ejection, drying and stacking processes. Drop ejection and flight were investigated with two modes of inkjet printheads, using a range of fluids formulated from solvent mixtures and characterised by the dimensionless Z number. The printable range was found to be 1.17 smaller or equal to Z smaller or equal to 36.76 for a 10 pl (21.5 micro metre diameter) shear-mode Dimatix printhead. However, with an 80 micro metre diameter squeeze-mode MicroFab printhead, the range was found to be narrower with 4.02 smaller or equal to Z smaller or equal to 16.2. However, both printheads were found to show a printable range of Weber number with 0.4 <We <20. Weber number is determined by the drop velocity and hence the actuating pulse. When designing inks for future printing work, not only the fluid properties, but also the pulse voltages need to be considered. The drop stacking and solidification processes of drops containing nano ZrO2 particles were investigated to enhance the understanding of drop drying and drop/drop interactions. In-situ synchrotron X-ray radiography provides a promising method to track the time-evolved solid segregation within printed drops during drying. Both the initial contact angle and substrate temperature during printing strongly influence the drying process and the final dried deposit shape. The drops were first pinned and then there was a slight sliding of the three-phase contact line. Drops were deformed by the stacking of overprinted drops when printed on Kapton tapes and silicon wafer surfaces, but not on glass slides due to the small contact angle of water on glass slides. Crack-like defects were found at the edge of the final dried stacking structures. The coffee stain effects within a single inkjet printed droplet and the 3D structures before and after sintering were investigated to find out the influence of ink properties, printing parameters and substrate temperature on inkjet printed structures. It was found coffee staining was more obvious at high substrate temperatures. When adding 25 vol% ethylene glycol (EG) or 5 wt% polyethylene glycol (PEG), the coffee stain effect is reduced or eliminated under room temperature drying. X-ray tomography has been demonstrated as a valuable tool for the characterization of 3D printed objects and defects that form during their manufacture. Defects were characterised as microvoids or large-scale crack-like defects. The majority of the microvoids revealed are associated with mechanisms and processes within a single drop, e.g. segregation during dryings such as the formation of coffee stains or coffee rings. The size or distribution of microvoids can be controlled by changing the ink formulation, with higher PEG content inks showing lower concentrations of microvoids.

Les biopuces connaissent un grand essor depuis quelques années avec des applicationspossibles pour l'ADN, les protéines et les oligosaccharides. Une puce à oligosaccharidesprésente des difficultés par rapport à une puce à ADN notamment par les contraintes entempérature et il existe moins de travaux dans ce domaine. Ce travail est donc consacré àl'étude d'une puce à oligosaccharide, par synthèse supportée et par masquage avec un film depolymère. Le procédé de fabrications est particulièrement détaillé.Nous étudions tout d'abord expérimentalement la formation d'un film de polymère obtenu parévaporation d'une goutte de solution polymérique sur une surface structurée chimiquement(zone de mouillabilité différente) en suivant son évolution transitoire. Nous montrons que cetype de surface hétérogène est particulièrement adapté pour la fabrication de biopuces.D'autre part, nous réalisons un modèle numérique de l'évaporation d'une goutte de solutionpolymérique sur une surface chauffée à partir de la méthode de la lubrification et d'un modèlede " hauteur de résine ". Les résultats expérimentaux et de simulation numérique sontcomparés et montrent un bon accord qualitatif sur la forme des films de polymères résultantde l'évaporation.Dans ce travail, la synthèse supportée de biopuces à oligosaccharide est menée à bien enutilisant des polymères et des surfaces judicieusement choisies. En particulier, la technique demasquage par film de polymère se révèle être très bien adaptée pour protéger les oligomères àla fois à hautes et à très basses températures.