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.