Expediting viscous spreading with liquid-infused solids

Here we discuss how the use of textured liquid-infused solids can expedite the dynamics of spreading of viscous drops, when the subjacent oil layer is less viscous. We characterize the nature and amplitude of the effect, and the laws governing the spreading at short time. More generally, our findings affirm the universality of the early dynamics of viscous contact, found to hold for drops that coalesce, spread, or even, like here, slip on their substrate.