Altering Mechanical and Dissolution Properties of Coffee Deposit by Adding Glucose

Glucose modifies the mechanical stability of coffee films
and facilitates
their dissolution dynamics at the microscale, rendering glucose-coffee
a valuable natural biomaterial system for studying pharmaceutical
applications. We show the glucose-dependent inhibition of crack propagation
during the evaporation of glucose-coffee droplets. The addition of
glucose increases the hardness, stiffness, and shear modulus of films,
as measured by surface nanomechanical testing. The glucose-coffee
film dissolves faster and more evenly than the pure coffee film through
interfaces. The water penetrates through well-dissolved glucose channels.
The modified mechanical properties and adjustable dissolution time,
coupled with edibility, position the glucose-modified coffee as an
excellent candidate for developing pharmaceutical inks for personalized
medicine droplet-based printing.