  Substrate wettability alteration induced control over crack formation process
in thin colloidal films has been addressed in the present study. Colloidal
nanosuspension (53nm, mean particle diameter) droplets have been subjected to
natural drying to outline the effects of substrate surface energies over the
dry-out characteristics with emphasis on crack dynamics, crack morphology and
underlying particle arrangements. Experimental findings indicate that number of
cracks formed decreases with increase in substrate hydrophobicity. These
physical phenomena have been explained based on the magnitude of stress
dissipation incurred by the substrate. DLVO predictions are also found to be in
tune with the reported experimental investigations.
