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Shimizu I, Matsumoto M. Free Energy Evaluation of Cavity Formation in Metastable Liquid Based on Stochastic Thermodynamics. ENTROPY (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 26:700. [PMID: 39202170 PMCID: PMC11353758 DOI: 10.3390/e26080700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2024] [Revised: 08/09/2024] [Accepted: 08/15/2024] [Indexed: 09/03/2024]
Abstract
Nucleation is a fundamental and general process at the initial stage of first-order phase transition. Although various models based on the classical nucleation theory (CNT) have been proposed to explain the energetics and kinetics of nucleation, detailed understanding at nanoscale is still required. Here, in view of the homogeneous bubble nucleation, we focus on cavity formation, in which evaluation of the size dependence of free energy change is the key issue. We propose the application of a formula in stochastic thermodynamics, the Jarzynski equality, for data analysis of molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to evaluate the free energy of cavity formation. As a test case, we performed a series of MD simulations with a Lennard-Jones (LJ) fluid system. By applying an external spherical force field to equilibrated LJ liquid, we evaluated the free energy change during cavity growth as the Jarzynski's ensemble average of required works. A fairly smooth free energy curve was obtained as a function of bubble radius in metastable liquid of mildly negative pressure conditions.
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2
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Keiser L, Dollet B, Marmottant P. Embolism propagation in Adiantum leaves and in a biomimetic system with constrictions. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20240103. [PMID: 39140327 PMCID: PMC11323083 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2024.0103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Drought poses a significant threat to forest survival worldwide by potentially generating air bubbles that obstruct sap transport within plants' hydraulic systems. However, the detailed mechanism of air entry and propagation at the scale of the veins remains elusive. Building upon a biomimetic model of leaf which we developed, we propose a direct comparison of the air embolism propagation in Adiantum (maidenhair fern) leaves, presented in Brodribb et al. (Brodribb TJ, Bienaimé D, Marmottant P. 2016 Revealing catastrophic failure of leaf networks under stress. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 113, 4865-4869 (doi:10.1073/pnas.1522569113)) and in our biomimetic leaves. In particular, we evidence that the jerky dynamics of the embolism propagation observed in Adiantum leaves can be recovered through the introduction of micrometric constrictions in the section of our biomimetic veins, mimicking the nanopores present in the bordered pit membranes in real leaves. We show that the intermittency in the propagation can be retrieved by a simple model coupling the variations of pressure induced by the constrictions and the variations of the volume of the compliant microchannels. Our study marks a step with the design of a biomimetic leaf that reproduces particular aspects of embolism propagation in real leaves, using a minimal set of controllable and readily tunable components. This biomimetic leaf constitutes a promising physical analogue and sets the stage for future enhancements to fully embody the unique physical features of embolizing real leaves.
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Chen S, Zhang H, Guo Z, Pagonabarraga I, Zhang X. A capillary-induced negative pressure is able to initiate heterogeneous cavitation. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:2863-2870. [PMID: 38465416 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00143e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
A capillarity-induced negative pressure is of general importance for understanding the phase behaviors of liquids in small pores and cracks. A unique example is the embolism in the xylem of plants and the cavitation at the limiting negative pressure generated by evaporation of water from nanocapillaries in the cell walls of leaves. In this work, by combining the effect of a capillary and cavitation together, we demonstrate with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations that capillarity is able to induce spontaneous cavitation in the presence of hydrophobic heterogeneities. Our simulation results reveal separately how the capillary generates a negative pressure and how the generated negative pressure affects the onset of cavitation. We then interpret the cavitation mechanism and determine the occurrence of cavitation as a function of the hydrophobicity of the nucleating substrates where the cavitation initiates and as a function of the hydrophilicity of the capillary tube from which the negative pressure generates. Our results reveal that the capillary-induced cavitation can be described well with a heterogeneous nucleation mechanism, within the framework of classical nucleation theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shan Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
- College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Bozhou University, Bozhou 236800, China
| | - Hongguang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Zhenjiang Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Mesoscience and Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Ignacio Pagonabarraga
- Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Barcelona, C. Martí I Franquès 1, Barcelona E08028, Spain.
- UBICS University of Barcelona Institute of Complex Systems, Martí i Franquès 1, Barcelona E08028, Spain
| | - Xianren Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic-Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
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Zhu Z, Xu J, Liang Y, Luo X, Chen J, Yang Z, He J, Chen Y. Bioinspired Solar-Driven Osmosis for Stable High Flux Desalination. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:3800-3811. [PMID: 38350025 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c08848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
The growing global water crisis necessitates sustainable desalination solutions. Conventional desalination technologies predominantly confront environmental issues such as high emissions from fossil-fuel-driven processes and challenges in managing brine disposal during the operational stages, emphasizing the need for renewable and environmentally friendly alternatives. This study introduces and assesses a bioinspired, solar-driven osmosis desalination device emulating the natural processes of mangroves with effective contaminant rejection and notable productivity. The bioinspired solar-driven osmosis (BISO) device, integrating osmosis membranes, microporous absorbent paper, and nanoporous ceramic membranes, was evaluated under different conditions. We conducted experiments in both controlled and outdoor settings, simulating seawater with a 3.5 wt % NaCl solution. With a water yield of 1.51 kg m-2 h-1 under standard solar conditions (one sun), the BISO system maintained excellent salt removal and accumulation resistance after up to 8 h of experiments and demonstrated great cavitation resistance even at 58.14 °C. The outdoor test recorded a peak rate of 1.22 kg m-2 h-1 and collected 16.5 mL in 8 h, showing its practical application potential. These results highlight the BISO device's capability to address water scarcity using a sustainable approach, combining bioinspired design with solar power, presenting a viable pathway in renewable-energy-driven desalination technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Zhu
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianwei Xu
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Yingzong Liang
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Xianglong Luo
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jianyong Chen
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Zhi Yang
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Jiacheng He
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Ying Chen
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
- Guangdong Province Key Laboratory on Functional Soft Matter, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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5
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Giacomello A. What keeps nanopores boiling. J Chem Phys 2023; 159:110902. [PMID: 37724724 DOI: 10.1063/5.0167530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The liquid-to-vapor transition can occur under unexpected conditions in nanopores, opening the door to fundamental questions and new technologies. The physics of boiling in confinement is progressively introduced, starting from classical nucleation theory, passing through nanoscale effects, and terminating with the material and external parameters that affect the boiling conditions. The relevance of boiling in specific nanoconfined systems is discussed, focusing on heterogeneous lyophobic systems, chromatographic columns, and ion channels. The current level of control of boiling in nanopores enabled by microporous materials such as metal organic frameworks and biological nanopores paves the way to thrilling theoretical challenges and to new technological opportunities in the fields of energy, neuromorphic computing, and sensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Giacomello
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica e Aerospaziale, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00184 Rome, Italy
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6
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Liu Y, Yu Z, Liu X, Cheng P, Zhao Y, Ma Y, Yang P, Liu K. Negative Pressure in Water for Efficient Heat Utilization and Transfer. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:6651-6657. [PMID: 37459201 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
Thermodynamic metastable water in negative pressure provides a possible solution to elevate the upper limit of evaporative heat transfer capacity and the efficiency of low-grade heat utilization, but practical implementations are challenging due to the difficulty in generating and maintaining large negative pressure. Herein, we report a novel structure with a hydrogel film as the evaporation surface and a permeable substrate as the functional layer to suppress cavitation. Based on the structure, we achieve an evaporation-driven flow system with negative pressure as low as -1.67 MPa. Molecular dynamics simulations elucidate the importance of strong water-polymer interactions in negative pressure generation. With the large negative pressure, we demonstrate a streaming potential generator that spontaneously converts environmental energy into electricity and outputs a voltage of 1.06 V. Moreover, we propose a "negative pressure heat pipe", which achieves a high heat transfer density of 9.6 kW cm-2 with a flow length of 1 m.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuxi Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Zehua Yu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
- College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Peng Cheng
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yifan Zhao
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Yanni Ma
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Peihua Yang
- The Institute of Technological Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
| | - Kang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients, School of Power and Mechanical Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China
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Tinti A, Giacomello A, Meloni S, Casciola CM. Classical nucleation of vapor between hydrophobic plates. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:134708. [PMID: 37031130 DOI: 10.1063/5.0140736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
In this work, an extended classical nucleation theory (CNT), including line tension, is used to disentangle classical and non-classical effects in the nucleation of vapor from a liquid confined between two hydrophobic plates at a nanometer distance. The proposed approach allowed us to gauge, from the available simulation work, the importance of elusive nanoscale effects, such as line tension and non-classical modifications of the nucleation mechanism. Surprisingly, the purely macroscopic theory is found to be in quantitative accord with the microscopic data, even for plate distances as small as 2 nm, whereas in extreme confinement ([Formula: see text] nm), the CNT approximations proved to be unsatisfactory. These results suggest how classical nucleation theory still offers a computationally inexpensive and predictive tool useful in all domains where nanoconfined evaporation occurs—including nanotechnology, surface science, and biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Tinti
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica e Aerospaziale, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00184 Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Giacomello
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica e Aerospaziale, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00184 Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Meloni
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche e Farmaceutiche, Universitá degli Studi di Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Carlo Massimo Casciola
- Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica e Aerospaziale, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00184 Rome, Italy
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8
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Aasen A, Wilhelmsen Ø, Hammer M, Reguera D. Free energy of critical droplets-from the binodal to the spinodal. J Chem Phys 2023; 158:114108. [PMID: 36948791 DOI: 10.1063/5.0142533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Arguably, the main challenge of nucleation theory is to accurately evaluate the work of formation of a critical embryo in the new phase, which governs the nucleation rate. In Classical Nucleation Theory (CNT), this work of formation is estimated using the capillarity approximation, which relies on the value of the planar surface tension. This approximation has been blamed for the large discrepancies between predictions from CNT and experiments. In this work, we present a study of the free energy of formation of critical clusters of the Lennard-Jones fluid truncated and shifted at 2.5σ using Monte Carlo simulations, density gradient theory, and density functional theory. We find that density gradient theory and density functional theory accurately reproduce molecular simulation results for critical droplet sizes and their free energies. The capillarity approximation grossly overestimates the free energy of small droplets. The incorporation of curvature corrections up to the second order with the Helfrich expansion greatly remedies this and performs very well for most of the experimentally accessible regions. However, it is imprecise for the smallest droplets and largest metastabilities since it does not account for a vanishing nucleation barrier at the spinodal. To remedy this, we propose a scaling function that uses all relevant ingredients without adding fitting parameters. The scaling function reproduces accurately the free energy of the formation of critical droplets for the entire metastability range and all temperatures examined and deviates from density gradient theory by less than one kBT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ailo Aasen
- SINTEF Energy Research, NO-7465 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | | | - David Reguera
- Departament de Física de la Matèria Condensada, Universitat de Barcelona, Martí i Franquès 1, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
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9
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Eyegheleme NL, Umashankar V, Miller DN, Kota AK, Boreyko JB. Oil-Water Separation using Synthetic Trees. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:2520-2528. [PMID: 36749622 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c02713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Existing oil-water filtration techniques require gravity or a pump as the driving force for separation. Here, we demonstrate transpiration-powered oil-water filtration using a synthetic tree, which operates pumplessly and against gravity. From top to bottom, our synthetic tree was composed of: a nanoporous "leaf" to generate suction via evaporation, a vertical array of glass tubes serving as the tree's xylem conduits, and filters attached to the tube inlets to act as the oil-excluding roots. When placing the tree in an oil emulsion bath, filtrate samples were measured to be 97-98% pure water using gravimetry and refractometry. The spontaneous oil-water separation offered by synthetic trees could be useful for applications such as oil spill cleanup, wastewater purification, and oil extraction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ndidi L Eyegheleme
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Viverjita Umashankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Danielle N Miller
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
| | - Arun K Kota
- Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Jonathan B Boreyko
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, United States
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10
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Faucher S, Kuehne M, Oliaei H, Misra RP, Li SX, Aluru NR, Strano MS. Observation and Isochoric Thermodynamic Analysis of Partially Water-Filled 1.32 and 1.45 nm Diameter Carbon Nanotubes. NANO LETTERS 2023; 23:389-397. [PMID: 36602909 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c00911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Recent measurements of fluids under extreme confinement, including water within narrow carbon nanotubes, exhibit marked deviations from continuum theoretical descriptions. In this work, we generate precise carbon nanotube replicates that are filled with water, closed from external mass transfer, and studied over a wide temperature range by Raman spectroscopy. We study segments that are empty, partially filled, and completely filled with condensed water from -80 to 120 °C. Partially filled, nanodroplet states contain submicron vapor-like and liquid-like domains and are analyzed using a Clausius-Clapeyron-type model, yielding heats of condensation of water inside closed 1.32 nm diameter carbon nanotubes (3.32 ± 0.10 kJ/mol and 3.72 ± 0.11 kJ/mol) and 1.45 nm diameter carbon nanotubes (3.50 ± 0.07 kJ/mol) that are lower than the bulk enthalpy of vaporization and closer to the bulk enthalpy of fusion. Favored partial filling fractions are calculated, highlighting the effect of subnanometer changes in confining diameter on fluid properties and suggesting the promise of molecular engineering of nanoconfined liquid/vapor interfaces for water treatment or membrane distillation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Faucher
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts02139, United States
| | - Matthias Kuehne
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts02139, United States
| | - Hananeh Oliaei
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois61801, United States
| | - Rahul Prasanna Misra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts02139, United States
| | - Sylvia Xin Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts02139, United States
| | - Narayana R Aluru
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas78712, United States
| | - Michael S Strano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts02139, United States
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11
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Ultrahigh evaporative heat transfer measured locally in submicron water films. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22353. [PMID: 36572793 PMCID: PMC9792458 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26182-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Thin film evaporation is a widely-used thermal management solution for micro/nano-devices with high energy densities. Local measurements of the evaporation rate at a liquid-vapor interface, however, are limited. We present a continuous profile of the evaporation heat transfer coefficient ([Formula: see text]) in the submicron thin film region of a water meniscus obtained through local measurements interpreted by a machine learned surrogate of the physical system. Frequency domain thermoreflectance (FDTR), a non-contact laser-based method with micrometer lateral resolution, is used to induce and measure the meniscus evaporation. A neural network is then trained using finite element simulations to extract the [Formula: see text] profile from the FDTR data. For a substrate superheat of 20 K, the maximum [Formula: see text] is [Formula: see text] MW/[Formula: see text]-K at a film thickness of [Formula: see text] nm. This ultrahigh [Formula: see text] value is two orders of magnitude larger than the heat transfer coefficient for single-phase forced convection or evaporation from a bulk liquid. Under the assumption of constant wall temperature, our profiles of [Formula: see text] and meniscus thickness suggest that 62% of the heat transfer comes from the region lying 0.1-1 μm from the meniscus edge, whereas just 29% comes from the next 100 μm.
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12
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Xue P, Qu M, Shi J, Jiang Y, He N, Zhao T, Luo S, Zhou S, Zhang JJ, Luo Y, Chu G, Li H, Chen JF, Sun SG, Liao HG. In Situ TEM Observation of Stagnant Liquid Layer Activation in Nanochannel. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:6958-6963. [PMID: 36037446 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The kinetics of mass transfer in a stagnant fluid layer next to an interface govern numerous dynamic reactions in diffusional micro/nanopores, such as catalysis, fuel cells, and chemical separation. However, the effect of the interplay between stagnant liquid and flowing fluid on the micro/nanoscopic mass transfer dynamics remains poorly understood. Here, by using liquid cell transmission electron microscopy (TEM), we directly tracked microfluid unit migration at the nanoscale. By tracking the trajectories, an unexpected mass transfer phenomenon in which fluid units in the stagnant liquid layer migrated two orders faster during gas-liquid interface updating was identified. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations indicated that the chemical potential difference between nanoscale liquid layers led to convective flow, which greatly enhanced mass transfer on the surface. Our study opens up a pathway toward research on mass transfer in the surface liquid layers at high spatial and temporal resolutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Xue
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Mi Qu
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Jie Shi
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Youhong Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Nana He
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Tiqing Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiwen Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Shiyuan Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Jia-Jun Zhang
- Xiamen Chip-Nova Technology Co., Ltd., Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Yong Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangwen Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Li
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian-Feng Chen
- Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Inorganic Composites, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People's Republic of China
| | - Shi-Gang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong-Gang Liao
- State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, People's Republic of China
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13
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Johnson DM, Katul G, Domec J. Catastrophic hydraulic failure and tipping points in plants. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:2231-2266. [PMID: 35394656 PMCID: PMC9544843 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Water inside plants forms a continuous chain from water in soils to the water evaporating from leaf surfaces. Failures in this chain result in reduced transpiration and photosynthesis and are caused by soil drying and/or cavitation-induced xylem embolism. Xylem embolism and plant hydraulic failure share several analogies to 'catastrophe theory' in dynamical systems. These catastrophes are often represented in the physiological and ecological literature as tipping points when control variables exogenous (e.g., soil water potential) or endogenous (e.g., leaf water potential) to the plant are allowed to vary on time scales much longer than time scales associated with cavitation events. Here, plant hydraulics viewed from the perspective of catastrophes at multiple spatial scales is considered with attention to bubble expansion within a xylem conduit, organ-scale vulnerability to embolism, and whole-plant biomass as a proxy for transpiration and hydraulic function. The hydraulic safety-efficiency tradeoff, hydraulic segmentation and maximum plant transpiration are examined using this framework. Underlying mechanisms for hydraulic failure at fine scales such as pit membranes and cell-wall mechanics, intermediate scales such as xylem network properties and at larger scales such as soil-tree hydraulic pathways are discussed. Understudied areas in plant hydraulics are also flagged where progress is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M. Johnson
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgiaUSA
| | - Gabriel Katul
- Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Jean‐Christophe Domec
- Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke UniversityDurhamNorth CarolinaUSA
- Department of ForestryBordeaux Sciences Agro, UMR INRAE‐ISPA 1391GradignanFrance
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14
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Zhang L, Zhuang Q, Wen Z, Zhang P, Ma W, Wu Q, Yun H. Spatial state distribution and phase transition of non-uniform water in soils: Implications for engineering and environmental sciences. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2021; 294:102465. [PMID: 34126567 DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2021.102465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The physical behaviors of water in the interface are the fundamental to discovering the engineering properties and environmental effects of aqueous porous media (e.g., soils). The pore water pressure (PWP) is a key parameter to characterize the pore water state (PWS) and its phase transition in the micro interface. Traditionally, the water in the interface is frequently believed to be uniform, negative in pressure and tensile based on macroscopic tests and Gibbs interface model. However, the water in the interface is a non-uniform and compressible fluid (part of tensile and part of compressed), forming a spatial profile of density and PWP depending on its distance from the substrate interface. Herein, we introduced the static and dynamic theory methods of non-uniform water based on diffuse interface model to analyze non-uniform water state dynamics and water density and PWP. Based on the theory of non-uniform water, we gave a clear stress analysis on soil water and developed the concepts of PWS, PWP and matric potential in classical soil mechanics. In addition, the phase transition theory of non-uniform water is also examined. In nature, the generalized Clausius-Clapeyron equation (GCCE) is consistent with Clapeyron equation. Therefore, a unified interpretation is proposed to justify the use of GCCE to represent frozen soil water dynamics. Furthermore, the PWP description of non-uniform water can be well verified by some experiments focusing on property variations in the interface area, including the spatial water density profile and unfrozen water content variations with decreasing temperature and other factors. In turn, PWP spatial distribution of non-uniform water and its states can well explain some key phenomena on phase transition during ice or hydrate formation, including the discrepancies of phase transition under a wide range of conditions.
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15
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Mohan L, Kar S, Nagai M, Santra TS. Electrochemical fabrication of TiO 2 micro-flowers for an efficient intracellular delivery using nanosecond light pulse. MATERIALS CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS 2021; 267:124604. [PMID: 34285425 PMCID: PMC7611311 DOI: 10.1016/j.matchemphys.2021.124604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Introduction of foreign cargo into the targeted living cell with high transfection efficiency and high cell viability is an important mean for many biological and biomedical research purpose. Here, we have demonstrated a newly developed Titanium oxide micro-flower structure (TMS) for intracellular delivery. The TMS were formed on titanium (Ti) substrate using an electrochemical anodization process. The TMS consists of branches of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanotubes, which play an important role in efficient cargo delivery. Due to nanosecond pulse laser exposure, Ti substrate heat-up, generating cavitation bubbles. These bubbles can rapidly grow, coalesce, and collapse to induce explosion resulting in very strong fluid flow through the TiO2 nanotubes and disrupt the cell plasma membrane promoting the delivery of biomolecules into cells. Using this platform, we successfully deliver dyes with 93% efficiency and nearly 98% cell viability into HCT cells, and this technique is potentially applicable for cellular therapy and diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Mohan
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan
| | - Srabani Kar
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India
- Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Moeto Nagai
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan
| | - Tuhin Subhra Santra
- Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India
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16
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Perspectives and design considerations of capillary-driven artificial trees for fast dewatering processes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:8631. [PMID: 33883623 PMCID: PMC8060284 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-88006-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent progresses on nanocapillary-driven water transport under metastable conditions have substantiated the potential of artificial trees for dewatering applications in a wide pressure range. This paper presents a comprehensive performance analysis of artificial trees encompassing the principle for negative capillary pressure generation; impacts of structural, compositional, and environmental conditions on dewatering performance; and design considerations. It begins by delineating functionalities of artificial trees for evaporation (leaves), conduction (xylem), and filtration (root) of water, in the analogy to natural trees. The analysis revealed that the magnitude of (negative) capillary pressure in the artificial leaves and xylem must be sufficiently large to overcome the osmotic pressure of feed at the root. The required magnitude can be reduced by increasing the osmotic pressure in the artificial xylem conduits, which reduces the risk of cavitation and subsequent blockage of water transport. However, a severe concentration polarization that can occur in long xylem conduits would negate such compensation effect of xylem osmotic pressure, leading to vapor pressure depression at the artificial leaves and therefore reduced dewatering rates. Enhanced Taylor dispersions by increasing xylem conduit diameters are found to alleviate the concentration polarization, allowing for water flux enhancement directly by increasing leaf-to-root membrane area ratio.
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17
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Faucher S, Kuehne M, Koman VB, Northrup N, Kozawa D, Yuan Z, Li SX, Zeng Y, Ichihara T, Misra RP, Aluru N, Blankschtein D, Strano MS. Diameter Dependence of Water Filling in Lithographically Segmented Isolated Carbon Nanotubes. ACS NANO 2021; 15:2778-2790. [PMID: 33512159 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c08634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although the structure and properties of water under conditions of extreme confinement are fundamentally important for a variety of applications, they remain poorly understood, especially for dimensions less than 2 nm. This problem is confounded by the difficulty in controlling surface roughness and dimensionality in fabricated nanochannels, contributing to a dearth of experimental platforms capable of carrying out the necessary precision measurements. In this work, we utilize an experimental platform based on the interior of lithographically segmented, isolated single-walled carbon nanotubes to study water under extreme nanoscale confinement. This platform generates multiple copies of nanotubes with identical chirality, of diameters from 0.8 to 2.5 nm and lengths spanning 6 to 160 μm, that can be studied individually in real time before and after opening, exposure to water, and subsequent water filling. We demonstrate that, under controlled conditions, the diameter-dependent blue shift of the Raman radial breathing mode (RBM) between 1 and 8 cm-1 measures an increase in the interior mechanical modulus associated with liquid water filling, with no response from exterior water exposure. The observed RBM shift with filling demonstrates a non-monotonic trend with diameter, supporting the assignment of a minimum of 1.81 ± 0.09 cm-1 at 0.93 ± 0.08 nm with a nearly linear increase at larger diameters. We find that a simple hard-sphere model of water in the confined nanotube interior describes key features of the diameter-dependent modulus change of the carbon nanotube and supports previous observations in the literature. Longer segments of 160 μm show partial filling from their ends, consistent with pore clogging. These devices provide an opportunity to study fluid behavior under extreme confinement with high precision and repeatability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Faucher
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Matthias Kuehne
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Volodymyr B Koman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Natalie Northrup
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Daichi Kozawa
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Zhe Yuan
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Sylvia Xin Li
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Yuwen Zeng
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Takeo Ichihara
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Rahul Prasanna Misra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Narayana Aluru
- Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States
| | - Daniel Blankschtein
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Michael S Strano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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18
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Rabinowitz J, Whittier E, Liu Z, Jayant K, Frank J, Shepard K. Nanobubble-controlled nanofluidic transport. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/46/eabd0126. [PMID: 33188030 PMCID: PMC7673748 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd0126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Nanofluidic platforms offering tunable material transport are applicable in biosensing, chemical detection, and filtration. Prior studies have achieved selective and controllable ion transport through electrical, optical, or chemical gating of complex nanostructures. Here, we mechanically control nanofluidic transport using nanobubbles. When plugging nanochannels, nanobubbles rectify and occasionally enhance ionic currents in a geometry-dependent manner. These conductance effects arise from nanobubbles inducing surface-governed ion transport through interfacial electrolyte films residing between nanobubble surfaces and nanopipette walls. The nanobubbles investigated here are mechanically generated, made metastable by surface pinning, and verified with cryogenic transmission electron microscopy. Our findings are relevant to nanofluidic device engineering, three-phase interface properties, and nanopipette-based applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Rabinowitz
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Elizabeth Whittier
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Zheng Liu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Krishna Jayant
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Joachim Frank
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Kenneth Shepard
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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19
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Spontaneous outflow efficiency of confined liquid in hydrophobic nanopores. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:25246-25253. [PMID: 32989153 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2009310117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The suspension of nanoporous particles in a nonwetting liquid provides a unique solution to the crux of superfluid, sensing, and energy conversion, yet is challenged by the incomplete outflow of intruded liquid out of nanopores for the system reusability. We report that a continuous and spontaneous liquid outflow from hydrophobic nanopores with high and stable efficiency can be achieved by regulating the confinement of solid-liquid interactions with functionalized nanopores or/and liquids. Full-scale molecular-dynamics simulations reveal that the grafted silyl chains on nanopore wall surfaces will promote the hydrophobic confinement of liquid molecules and facilitate the molecular outflow; by contrast, the introduction of ions in the liquid weakens the hydrophobic confinement and congests the molecular outflow. Both one-step and multistep well-designed quasistatic compression experiments on a series of nanopores/nonwetting liquid material systems have been performed, and the results confirm the outflow mechanism in remarkable agreement with simulations. This study offers a fundamental understanding of the outflow of confined liquid from hydrophobic nanopores, potentially useful for devising emerging nanoporous-liquid functional systems with reliable and robust reusability.
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20
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Yang J, M Michaud J, Jansen S, Schenk HJ, Zuo YY. Dynamic surface tension of xylem sap lipids. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2020; 40:433-444. [PMID: 32031666 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2019] [Revised: 11/01/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The surface tension of xylem sap has been traditionally assumed to be close to that of the pure water because decreasing surface tension is thought to increase vulnerability to air seeding and embolism. However, xylem sap contains insoluble lipid-based surfactants, which also coat vessel and pit membrane surfaces, where gas bubbles can enter xylem under negative pressure in the process known as air seeding. Because of the insolubility of amphiphilic lipids, the surface tension influencing air seeding in pit pores is not the equilibrium surface tension of extracted bulk sap but the local surface tension at gas-liquid interfaces, which depends dynamically on the local concentration of lipids per surface area. To estimate the dynamic surface tension in lipid layers that line surfaces in the xylem apoplast, we studied the time-dependent and surface area-regulated surface tensions of apoplastic lipids extracted from xylem sap of four woody angiosperm plants using constrained drop surfactometry. Xylem lipids were found to demonstrate potent surface activity, with surface tensions reaching an equilibrium at ~25 mN m-1 and varying between a minimum of 19 mN m-1 and a maximum of 68 mN m-1 when changing the surface area between 50 and 160% around the equilibrium surface area. It is concluded that xylem lipid films in natural conditions most likely range from nonequilibrium metastable conditions of a supersaturated compression state to an undersaturated expansion state, depending on the local surface areas of gas-liquid interfaces. Together with findings that maximum pore constrictions in angiosperm pit membranes are much smaller than previously assumed, low dynamic surface tension in xylem turns out to be entirely compatible with the cohesion-tension and air-seeding theories, as well as with the existence of lipid-coated nanobubbles in xylem sap, and with the range of vulnerabilities to embolism observed in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinlong Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2540 Dole Street, Holmes Hall 302, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
| | - Joseph M Michaud
- Department of Biological Science, California State University, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831, USA
| | - Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, Ulm D-89081, Germany
| | - H Jochen Schenk
- Department of Biological Science, California State University, 800 N. State College Blvd., Fullerton, CA 92831, USA
| | - Yi Y Zuo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2540 Dole Street, Holmes Hall 302, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, 1319 Punahou Street, Honolulu, HI 96826, USA
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21
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Zhong J, Alibakhshi MA, Xie Q, Riordon J, Xu Y, Duan C, Sinton D. Exploring Anomalous Fluid Behavior at the Nanoscale: Direct Visualization and Quantification via Nanofluidic Devices. Acc Chem Res 2020; 53:347-357. [PMID: 31922716 DOI: 10.1021/acs.accounts.9b00411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Nanofluidics is the study of fluids under nanoscale confinement, where small-scale effects dictate fluid physics and continuum assumptions are no longer fully valid. At this scale, because of large surface-area-to-volume ratios, the fluid interaction with boundaries becomes more pronounced, and both short-range steric/hydration forces and long-range van der Waals forces and electrostatic forces dictate fluid behavior. These forces lead to a spectrum of anomalous transport and thermodynamic phenomena such as ultrafast water flow, enhanced ion transport, extreme phase transition temperatures, and slow biomolecule diffusion, which have been the subject of extensive computational studies. Experimental quantification of these phenomena was also enabled by the advent of nanofluidic technology, which has transformed challenging nanoscale fluid measurements into facile optical and electrical recordings. Our groups' focus is to investigate nanoscale (2 to 103 nm) fluid behaviors in the context of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics through the development of novel nanofluidic tools, to examine the applicability of classical equations at the nanoscale, to identify the source of deviations, and to explore new physics emerging at this scale. In this Account, we summarize our recent findings regarding liquid transport, vaporization, and condensation of nanoscale-confined liquids. Our study of nanoscale water transport identified an additional resistance in hydrophilic nanochannels, attributed to the reduced cross-sectional area caused by the formation of an immobile hydration layer on the surfaces. In contrast, a reduction in flow resistance was discovered in graphene-coated hydrophobic nanochannels, due to water slippage on the graphene surface. In the context of vaporization, the kinetic-limited evaporation flux was measured and found to exceed the classical theoretical prediction by an order of magnitude in hydrophilic nanochannels/nanopores as a result of the thin film evaporation outside of the apertures. This factor was eliminated by modifying the hydrophobicity of the aperture's exterior surface, enabling the identification of the true kinetic limits inside nanoconfinements and a crucial confinement-dependent evaporation coefficient. The transport-limited evaporation dynamics was also quantified, where experimental results confirmed the parallel diffusion-convection resistance model in both single nanoconduits and nanoporous systems at high accuracy. Furthermore, we have extended our studies to different aspects of condensation in nanoscale-confined spaces. The initiation of condensation for a single-component hydrocarbon was observed to follow the Kelvin equation, whereas for hydrocarbon mixtures it deviated from classical theory because of surface-selective adsorption, which has been corroborated by simulations. Moreover, the condensation dynamics deviates from the bulk and is governed by either vapor transport or liquid transport depending on the confinement scale. Overall, by using novel nanofluidic devices and measurement strategies, our work explores and further verifies the applicability of classical fluid mechanics and thermodynamic equations such as the Navier-Stokes, Kelvin, and Hertz-Knudsen equations at the nanoscale. The results not only deepen our understanding of the fundamental physical phenomena of nanoscale fluids but also have important implications for various industrial applications such as water desalination, oil extraction/recovery, and thermal management. Looking forward, we see tremendous opportunities for nanofluidic devices in probing and quantifying nanoscale fluid thermophysical properties and more broadly enabling nanoscale chemistry and materials science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Zhong
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Mohammad Amin Alibakhshi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Quan Xie
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Jason Riordon
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
| | - Chuanhua Duan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - David Sinton
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8, Canada
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22
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Wang Y, Lee J, Werber JR, Elimelech M. Capillary-driven desalination in a synthetic mangrove. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaax5253. [PMID: 32128394 PMCID: PMC7034996 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aax5253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
According to the cohesion-tension theory, mangrove trees desalinate salty water using highly negative pressure (or tension) that is generated by evaporative capillary forces in mangrove leaves. Here, we demonstrate a synthetic mangrove that mimics the main features of the natural mangrove: capillary pumping (leaves), stable water conduction in highly metastable states (stem), and membrane desalination (root). When using nanoporous membranes as leaves, the maximum osmotic pressures of saline feeds (10 to 30 bar) allowing pure water uptake precisely correspond to expected capillary pressures based on the Young-Laplace equation. Hydrogel-based leaves allow for stable operation and desalination of hypersaline solutions with osmotic pressures approaching 400 bar, fivefold greater than the pressure limits of conventional reverse osmosis. Our findings support the applicability of the cohesion-tension theory to desalination in mangroves, provide a new platform to study plant hydraulics, and create possibilities for engineered membrane separations using large, passively generated capillary pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunkun Wang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Water Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
| | - Jongho Lee
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
- Department of Civil Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Jay R. Werber
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
- Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0431, USA
| | - Menachem Elimelech
- Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8286, USA
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23
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Shi W, Dalrymple RM, McKenny CJ, Morrow DS, Rashed ZT, Surinach DA, Boreyko JB. Passive water ascent in a tall, scalable synthetic tree. Sci Rep 2020; 10:230. [PMID: 31937824 PMCID: PMC6959229 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-57109-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The transpiration cycle in trees is powered by a negative water potential generated within the leaves, which pumps water up a dense array of xylem conduits. Synthetic trees can mimic this transpiration cycle, but have been confined to pumping water across a single microcapillary or microfluidic channels. Here, we fabricated tall synthetic trees where water ascends up an array of large diameter conduits, to enable transpiration at the same macroscopic scale as natural trees. An array of 19 tubes of millimetric diameter were embedded inside of a nanoporous ceramic disk on one end, while their free end was submerged in a water reservoir. After saturating the synthetic tree by boiling it underwater, water can flow continuously up the tubes even when the ceramic disk was elevated over 3 m above the reservoir. A theory is developed to reveal two distinct modes of transpiration: an evaporation-limited regime and a flow-limited regime.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiwei Shi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States
| | - Richard M Dalrymple
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States
| | - Collin J McKenny
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States
| | - David S Morrow
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States
| | - Ziad T Rashed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States
| | - Daniel A Surinach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States
| | - Jonathan B Boreyko
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, United States.
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24
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Sun L, Shigyou K, Ando T, Watanabe S. Thermally Driven Approach To Fill Sub-10-nm Pipettes with Batch Production. Anal Chem 2019; 91:14080-14084. [PMID: 31589026 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.9b03848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Typically, utilization of small nanopipettes results in either high sensitivity or spatial resolution in modern nanoscience and nanotechnology. However, filling a nanopipette with a sub-10-nm pore diameter remains a significant challenge. Here, we introduce a thermally driven approach to filling sub-10-nm pipettes with batch production, regardless of their shape. A temperature gradient is applied to transport water vapor from the backside of nanopipettes to the tip region until bubbles are completely removed from this region. The electrical contact and pore size for filling nanopipettes are confirmed by current-voltage and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements, respectively. In addition, we quantitatively compare the pore size between the TEM characterization and estimation on the basis of pore radius and conductance. The validity of this method provides a foundation for highly sensitive detection of single molecules and high spatial resolution imaging of nanostructures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linhao Sun
- Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) , Kanazawa University , Kakuma-machi , Kanazawa 920-1192 , Japan
| | - Kazuki Shigyou
- Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) , Kanazawa University , Kakuma-machi , Kanazawa 920-1192 , Japan
| | - Toshio Ando
- Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) , Kanazawa University , Kakuma-machi , Kanazawa 920-1192 , Japan
| | - Shinji Watanabe
- Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) , Kanazawa University , Kakuma-machi , Kanazawa 920-1192 , Japan
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25
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Nie J, Chandra A, Liang Z, Keblinski P. Mass accommodation at a high-velocity water liquid-vapor interface. J Chem Phys 2019; 150:154705. [DOI: 10.1063/1.5091724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J. Nie
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA
| | - A. Chandra
- Department of Mechanical, Aeronautical and Nuclear Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA
| | - Z. Liang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, California State University, Fresno, California 93740, USA
| | - P. Keblinski
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York 12180, USA
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26
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Shi W, Vieitez JR, Berrier AS, Roseveare MW, Surinach DA, Srijanto BR, Collier CP, Boreyko JB. Self-Stabilizing Transpiration in Synthetic Leaves. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2019; 11:13768-13776. [PMID: 30912914 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.9b00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decade, synthetic trees have been engineered to mimic the transpiration cycle of natural plants, but the leaves are prone to dry out beneath a critical relative humidity. Here, we create large-area synthetic leaves whose transpiration process is remarkably stable over a wide range of humidities, even without synthetic stomatal chambers atop the nanopores of the leaf. While the water menisci cannot initially withstand the Kelvin stress of the subsaturated air, they self-stabilized by locally concentrating vapor within the top layers of nanopores that have dried up. Transpiration rates were found to vary nonmonotonically with the ambient humidity because of the tradeoff of dry air increasing the retreat length of the menisci. It is our hope that these findings will encourage the development of large-area synthetic trees that exhibit excellent stability and high throughput for water-harvesting applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Bernadeta R Srijanto
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
| | - C Patrick Collier
- Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences , Oak Ridge National Laboratory , Oak Ridge , Tennessee 37831 , United States
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27
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Nazari M, Masoudi A, Jafari P, Irajizad P, Kashyap V, Ghasemi H. Ultrahigh Evaporative Heat Fluxes in Nanoconfined Geometries. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2019; 35:78-85. [PMID: 30550284 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.8b03463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Advancement in high-performance photonics/electronics devices has boosted generated thermal energy, making thermal management a bottleneck for accelerated innovation in these disciplines. Although various methods have been used to tackle the thermal management problem, evaporation with nanometer fluid thickness is one of the most promising approaches for future technological demands. Here, we studied thin-film evaporation in nanochannels under absolute negative pressure in both transient and steady-state conditions. We demonstrated that thin-film evaporation in nanochannels can be a bubble-free process even at temperatures higher than boiling temperature, providing high reliability in thermal management systems. To achieve this bubble-free characteristic, the dimension of nanochannels should be smaller than the critical nucleolus dimension. In transient evaporative conditions, there is a plateau in the velocity of liquid in the nanochannels, which limits the evaporative heat flux. This limit is imposed by liquid viscous dissipation in the moving evaporative meniscus. In contrast, in steady-state condition, unprecedented average interfacial heat flux of 11 ± 2 kW cm-2 is achieved in the nanochannels, which corresponds to liquid velocity of 0.204 m s-1. This ultrahigh heat flux is demonstrated for a long period of time. The vapor outward transport from the interface is both advective and diffusion controlled. The momentum transport of liquid to the interface is the limiting physics of evaporation at steady state. The developed concept and platform provide a rational route to design thermal management technologies for high-performance electronic systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masoumeh Nazari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Houston , 4726 Calhoun Road , Houston , Texas 77204-4006 , United States
| | - Ali Masoudi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Houston , 4726 Calhoun Road , Houston , Texas 77204-4006 , United States
| | - Parham Jafari
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Houston , 4726 Calhoun Road , Houston , Texas 77204-4006 , United States
| | - Peyman Irajizad
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Houston , 4726 Calhoun Road , Houston , Texas 77204-4006 , United States
| | - Varun Kashyap
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Houston , 4726 Calhoun Road , Houston , Texas 77204-4006 , United States
| | - Hadi Ghasemi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering , University of Houston , 4726 Calhoun Road , Houston , Texas 77204-4006 , United States
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Wu M, Wei W, Liu X, Liu K, Li S. Structure and dynamic properties of stretched water in graphene nanochannels by molecular dynamics simulation: effects of stretching extent. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2019; 21:19163-19171. [DOI: 10.1039/c9cp03981c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Water confined in nanochannels can be stretched with the variation of external pressure, leading to the more disordered microstructure and higher diffusion coefficient than bulk water.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingbing Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion
- School of Energy and Power Engineering
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology
- Wuhan 430074
- China
| | - Wei Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion
- School of Energy and Power Engineering
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology
- Wuhan 430074
- China
| | - Xiaowei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion
- School of Energy and Power Engineering
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology
- Wuhan 430074
- China
| | - Kang Liu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Hydrodynamic Transients
- School of Power and Mechanical Engineering
- Wuhan University
- Wuhan
- P. R. China
| | - Song Li
- State Key Laboratory of Coal Combustion
- School of Energy and Power Engineering
- Huazhong University of Science and Technology
- Wuhan 430074
- China
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29
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Mobaraki M, Semken RS, Mikkola A, Pyrhönen J. Enhanced sludge dewatering based on the application of high-power ultrasonic vibration. ULTRASONICS 2018; 84:438-445. [PMID: 29257985 DOI: 10.1016/j.ultras.2017.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Interest in producing heat and power using municipal wastewater sewage sludge as a fuel is increasing worldwide. Since its water content is initially high, sludge must be dewatered and further dried if it is to serve as an effective fuel for combustion. However, to maximize net energy production, the drying processes must use as little energy as possible. The water content in sewage sludge comprises both unbound and bound water. Unbound water content is typically extracted using a number of mechanical dewatering techniques. In terms of total solids content (TS), dewatering processes can take sludge from an initial 3-5% to a more solid 25-45% TS with minimal energy expenditure. However, this level of dryness is not sufficient for effective combustion. To produce an effective fuel, TS levels must be increased. Achieving high level of dryness involves removing any remaining unbound water and substantial bound water content as well. Heat is normally applied to accomplish this by changing the phase of the water from liquid to vapor. Although dewatering is energy-efficient, thermal drying is not. The energy used to thermally dry sludge can be two orders of magnitude greater than the energy used for dewatering. Therefore, to expend as little energy as possible to achieve the needed dryness, conventional dewatering processes clearly must be improved. This paper describes work carried out to identify promising ways to efficiently enhance the dewatering and drying of sewage sludge. Available dewatering approaches were reviewed and experiments were carried out to examine the relative effects of temperature, atmospheric pressure, and high-power ultrasound. The high-power ultrasound approach seemed to be particularly effective. The mechanisms involved include atomization, microstructural effects, cavitation, and the sponge effect, which work to reduce both internal and external resistances. Applied in the right way, ultrasound could become a very effective way to enhance mechanical dewatering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mojtaba Mobaraki
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, LUT School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta University of Technology LUT, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta, Finland.
| | - R Scott Semken
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, LUT School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta University of Technology LUT, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta, Finland.
| | - Aki Mikkola
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, LUT School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta University of Technology LUT, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta, Finland.
| | - Juha Pyrhönen
- Department of Electrical Engineering, LUT School of Energy Systems, Lappeenranta University of Technology LUT, Skinnarilankatu 34, 53850 Lappeenranta, Finland.
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30
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Abstract
Molecular springs, constituted by nanoporous materials immersed in a nonwetting liquid, are compact, economical, and efficient means of storing energy, owing to their enormous surface area. Surface energy is accumulated during liquid intrusion inside the pores and released by decreasing liquid pressure and thus triggering confined cavitation. State-of-the-art atomistic simulations shed light on the intrusion and extrusion of water in hydrophobic nanopores, revealing conspicuous deviations from macroscopic theories, which include accelerated cavitation, increased intrusion pressure, and reversible intrusion and extrusion processes. Understanding these nanoscale phenomena is the key to a better design of molecular springs as it allows relating the characteristics of the materials to the overall properties of the devices, e.g., their operational pressure and efficiency. Heterogeneous systems composed of hydrophobic nanoporous materials and water are capable, depending on their characteristics, of efficiently dissipating (dampers) or storing (“molecular springs”) energy. However, it is difficult to predict their properties based on macroscopic theories—classical capillarity for intrusion and classical nucleation theory (CNT) for extrusion—because of the peculiar behavior of water in extreme confinement. Here we use advanced molecular dynamics techniques to shed light on these nonclassical effects, which are often difficult to investigate directly via experiments, owing to the reduced dimensions of the pores. The string method in collective variables is used to simulate, without artifacts, the microscopic mechanism of water intrusion and extrusion in the pores, which are thermally activated, rare events. Simulations reveal three important nonclassical effects: the nucleation free-energy barriers are reduced eightfold compared with CNT, the intrusion pressure is increased due to nanoscale confinement, and the intrusion/extrusion hysteresis is practically suppressed for pores with diameters below 1.2 nm. The frequency and size dependence of hysteresis exposed by the present simulations explains several experimental results on nanoporous materials. Understanding physical phenomena peculiar to nanoconfined water paves the way for a better design of nanoporous materials for energy applications; for instance, by decreasing the size of the nanopores alone, it is possible to change their behavior from dampers to molecular springs.
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Xie Q, Xiao S, Duan C. Geometry-Dependent Drying in Dead-End Nanochannels. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:8395-8403. [PMID: 28749140 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.7b02027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Liquid drying in nanoporous media is a key process in food, textile, oil and energy industries, but the corresponding kinetics remains poorly understood due to the structural complexity of nanoporous media. Here, we directly observe the drying process and study drying kinetics in single two-dimensional (2-D) nanochannels with height ranging from 29 to 122 nm. Two different drying behaviors are discovered in such nanoconfinements: continuous meniscus receding and discontinuous meniscus receding due to liquid bridge formation ahead of the meniscus, albeit similar drying rates. The geometry dependence of the measured drying rates is studied at different humidities and compared with a theoretical model considering liquid corner flow, liquid thin film flow, and vapor diffusion as contributors to the overall drying rates. Individual contributions from vapor and liquid transport inside the nanochannels to the drying kinetics are decoupled, and the water vapor diffusivity is successfully extracted. Our results show that both corner flow and vapor diffusion play important roles on water drying in nanochannels without sharp corners. Our findings further indicate that water vapor diffusion in nanoscale confinements can still be described by the classic Knudsen diffusion theory. These results provide new insights of liquid drying in nanoporous media and have implication in optimizing drying processes in industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Xie
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Siyang Xiao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Chuanhua Duan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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32
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Li Y, Alibakhshi MA, Zhao Y, Duan C. Exploring Ultimate Water Capillary Evaporation in Nanoscale Conduits. NANO LETTERS 2017; 17:4813-4819. [PMID: 28719216 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.7b01620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Capillary evaporation in nanoscale conduits is an efficient heat/mass transfer strategy that has been widely utilized by both nature and mankind. Despite its broad impact, the ultimate transport limits of capillary evaporation in nanoscale conduits, governed by the evaporation/condensation kinetics at the liquid-vapor interface, have remained poorly understood. Here we report experimental study of the kinetic limits of water capillary evaporation in two dimensional nanochannels using a novel hybrid channel design. Our results show that the kinetic-limited evaporation fluxes break down the limits predicated by the classical Hertz-Knudsen equation by an order of magnitude, reaching values up to 37.5 mm/s with corresponding heat fluxes up to 8500 W/cm2. The measured evaporation flux increases with decreasing channel height and relative humidity but decreases as the channel temperature decreases. Our findings have implications for further understanding evaporation at the nanoscale and developing capillary evaporation-based technologies for both energy- and bio-related applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinxiao Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Mohammad Amin Alibakhshi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Yihong Zhao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
| | - Chuanhua Duan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University , Boston, Massachusetts 02215, United States
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33
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Bao B, Riordon J, Mostowfi F, Sinton D. Microfluidic and nanofluidic phase behaviour characterization for industrial CO 2, oil and gas. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:2740-2759. [PMID: 28731086 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00301c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Microfluidic systems that leverage unique micro-scale phenomena have been developed to provide rapid, accurate and robust analysis, predominantly for biomedical applications. These attributes, in addition to the ability to access high temperatures and pressures, have motivated recent expanded applications in phase measurements relevant to industrial CO2, oil and gas applications. We here present a comprehensive review of this exciting new field, separating microfluidic and nanofluidic approaches. Microfluidics is practical, and provides similar phase properties analysis to established bulk methods with advantages in speed, control and sample size. Nanofluidic phase behaviour can deviate from bulk measurements, which is of particular relevance to emerging unconventional oil and gas production from nanoporous shale. In short, microfluidics offers a practical, compelling replacement of current bulk phase measurement systems, whereas nanofluidics is not practical, but uniquely provides insight into phase change phenomena at nanoscales. Challenges, trends and opportunities for phase measurements at both scales are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Bao
- Interface Fluidics, 11421 Saskatchewan Dr. NW, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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34
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Li H, Zhong J, Pang Y, Zandavi SH, Persad AH, Xu Y, Mostowfi F, Sinton D. Direct visualization of fluid dynamics in sub-10 nm nanochannels. NANOSCALE 2017; 9:9556-9561. [PMID: 28664968 DOI: 10.1039/c7nr02176c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Optical microscopy is the most direct method to probe fluid dynamics at small scales. However, contrast between fluid phases vanishes at ∼10 nm lengthscales, limiting direct optical interrogation to larger systems. Here, we present a method for direct, high-contrast and label-free visualization of fluid dynamics in sub-10 nm channels, and apply this method to study capillary filling dynamics at this scale. The direct visualization of confined fluid dynamics in 8-nm high channels is achieved with a conventional bright-field optical microscope by inserting a layer of a high-refractive-index material, silicon nitride (Si3N4), between the substrate and the nanochannel, and the height of which is accurately controlled down to a few nanometers by a SiO2 spacer layer. The Si3N4 layer exhibits a strong Fabry-Perot resonance in reflection, providing a sharp contrast between ultrathin liquid and gas phases. In addition, the Si3N4 layer enables robust anodic bonding without nanochannel collapse. With this method, we demonstrate the validity of the classical Lucas-Washburn equation for capillary filling in the sub-10 nm regime, in contrast to the previous studies, for both polar and nonpolar liquids, and for aqueous salt solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huawei Li
- Key Laboratory of Precision Microelectronic Manufacturing Technology & Equipment of Ministry of Education, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, 510006, China
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35
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Bao B, Zandavi SH, Li H, Zhong J, Jatukaran A, Mostowfi F, Sinton D. Bubble nucleation and growth in nanochannels. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2017; 19:8223-8229. [PMID: 28271101 DOI: 10.1039/c7cp00550d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
We apply micro- and nanofluidics to study fundamental phase change behaviour at nanoscales, as relevant to shale gas/oil production. We investigate hydrocarbon phase transition in sub-100 nm channels under conditions that mimic the pressure drawdown process. Measured cavitation pressures are compared with those predicted from the nucleation theory. We find that cavitation pressure in the nanochannels corresponds closer to the spinodal limit than that predicted from classical nucleation theory. This deviation indicates that hydrocarbons remain in the liquid phase in nano-sized pores under pressures much lower than the saturation pressure. Depending on the initial nucleation location - along the channel or at the end - two types of bubble growth dynamics were observed. Bubble growth was measured experimentally at different nucleation conditions, and results agree with a fluid dynamics model including evaporation rate, instantaneous bulk liquid velocity, and bubble pressure. Collectively these results demonstrate, characterize, and quantify isothermal bubble nucleation and growth of a pure substance in nanochannels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Bao
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, M5S3G8, Canada.
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36
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Zhong J, Zandavi SH, Li H, Bao B, Persad AH, Mostowfi F, Sinton D. Condensation in One-Dimensional Dead-End Nanochannels. ACS NANO 2017; 11:304-313. [PMID: 27977139 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.6b05666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Phase change at the nanoscale is at the heart of many biological and geological phenomena. The recent emergence and global implications of unconventional oil and gas production from nanoporous shale further necessitate a higher understanding of phase behavior at these scales. Here, we directly observe condensation and condensate growth of a light hydrocarbon (propane) in discrete sub-100 nm (∼70 nm) channels. Two different condensation mechanisms at this nanoscale are distinguished, continuous growth and discontinuous growth due to liquid bridging ahead of the meniscus, both leading to similar net growth rates. The growth rates agree well with those predicted by a suitably defined thermofluid resistance model. In contrast to phase change at larger scales (∼220 and ∼1000 nm cases), the rate of liquid condensate growth in channels of sub-100 nm size is found to be limited mainly by vapor flow resistance (∼70% of the total resistance here), with interface resistance making up the difference. The condensation-induced vapor flow is in the transitional flow regime (Knudsen flow accounting for up to 13% of total resistance here). Collectively, these results demonstrate that with confinement at sub-100 nm scales, such as is commonly found in porous shale and other applications, condensation conditions deviate from the microscale and larger bulk conditions chiefly due to vapor flow and interface resistances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Zhong
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8 Canada
| | - Seyed Hadi Zandavi
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8 Canada
| | - Huawei Li
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8 Canada
| | - Bo Bao
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8 Canada
| | - Aaron H Persad
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8 Canada
| | - Farshid Mostowfi
- Schlumberger-Doll Research , Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139 United States
| | - David Sinton
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto , Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G8 Canada
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37
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Liu X, Huang L, Guo D, Xie G. Infrared Thermography Investigation of an Evaporating Water/Oil Meniscus in Confined Geometry. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2017; 33:197-205. [PMID: 27997797 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.6b03482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
To simulate the heat and mass transfer in real heterogeneous systems, such as metal-production processes and lubrication, the point-contact condition with the formation of narrowly confined liquid film and its surrounding meniscus was constructed to study the classical microchannel boiling problem in this work. Specifically, the evaporation and diffusion of the superheated water meniscus and water/oil droplet in the point-contact geometry were investigated. The emphasis is put on the influence of the contact-line transport behaviors on nucleation and bubble dynamics in the confined meniscus. The observations suggested that superheat is the necessary condition for bubble formation, and enough vapor supply is the necessary condition for bubble growth in the confined liquid. The oil film could significantly inhibit the evaporation and diffusion of water molecules in the superheat geometry. The water/oil droplet can exist for a long time even in the hot contact region, which could have sustained damages to the mechanical system suffering from water pollution. This work is of great significance to better understand the damage mechanism of water pollution to the mechanical system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiang Liu
- National Institute of Metrology , Beijing 100029, China
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China
| | - Lu Huang
- National Institute of Metrology , Beijing 100029, China
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China
| | - Dan Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China
| | - Guoxin Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Tribology, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, China
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38
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Xie Q, Xin F, Park HG, Duan C. Ion transport in graphene nanofluidic channels. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:19527-19535. [PMID: 27878192 DOI: 10.1039/c6nr06977k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Carbon nanofluidic structures made of carbon nanotubes or graphene/graphene oxide have shown great promise in energy and environment applications due to the newly discovered fast and selective mass transport. However, they have yet to be utilized in nanofluidic devices for lab-on-a-chip applications because of great challenges in their fabrication and integration. Herein we report the fabrication of two-dimensional planar graphene nanochannel devices and the study of ion transport inside a graphene nanochannel array. A MEMS fabrication process that includes controlled nanochannel etching, graphene wet transfer, and vacuum anodic bonding is developed to fabricate graphene nanochannels where graphene conformally coats the channel surfaces. We observe higher ionic conductance inside the graphene nanochannels compared with silica nanochannels with the same geometries at low electrolyte concentrations (10-6 M-10-2 M). Enhanced electroosmotic flow due to the boundary slip at graphene surfaces is attributed to the measured higher conductance in the graphene nanochannels. Our results also suggest that the surface charge on the graphene surface, originating from the dissociation of oxygen-containing functional groups, is crucial to the enhanced electroosmotic flow inside the nanochannels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Xie
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA.
| | - Fang Xin
- School of Aerospace Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Hyung Gyu Park
- Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Chuanhua Duan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, 02215, MA, USA.
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Abstract
Nanoscale fluid transport through conduits in the 1-100 nm range is termed as nanofluidics. Over the past decade or so, significant scientific and technological advances have occurred in the domain of nanofluidics with a transverse external electrical signal through a dielectric layer permitting control over ionic and fluid flows in these nanoscale conduits. Consequently, this special class of nanofluidic devices is commonly referred to as field effect devices, analogous to the solid-state field effect transistors that form the basis for modern electronics. In this mini-review, we focus on summarizing the recent developments in field effect nanofluidics as a discipline and evaluate both tutorially and critically the scientific and technological advances that have been reported, including a discussion on the future outlook and identifying broad open questions which suggest that there are many breakthroughs still to come in field-effect nanofluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaurya Prakash
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
| | - A T Conlisk
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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40
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Vincent O, Szenicer A, Stroock AD. Capillarity-driven flows at the continuum limit. SOFT MATTER 2016; 12:6656-6661. [PMID: 27444407 DOI: 10.1039/c6sm00733c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
We experimentally investigate the dynamics of capillary-driven flows at the nanoscale, using an original platform that combines nanoscale pores (⋍3 nm in diameter) and microfluidic features. In particular, we show that drying involves a fine coupling between thermodynamics and fluid mechanics that can be used to generate precisely controlled nanoflows driven by extreme stresses - up to 100 MPa of tension. We exploit these tunable flows to provide quantitative tests of continuum theories (e.g. Kelvin-Laplace equation and Poiseuille flow) across an unprecedented range and we isolate the breakdown of continuum as a negative slip length of molecular dimension. Our results show a coherent picture across multiple experiments including drying-induced permeation flows, imbibition and poroelastic transients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Vincent
- Cornell University, Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Ithaca, NY, USA.
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41
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Watanabe S, Fujita T, Ribierre JC, Takaishi K, Muto T, Adachi C, Uchiyama M, Aoyama T, Matsumoto M. Microcrystallization of a Solution-Processable Organic Semiconductor in Capillaries for High-Performance Ambipolar Field-Effect Transistors. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2016; 8:17574-17582. [PMID: 27150559 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5b12713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We report on the use of microcrystallization in capillaries to fabricate patterned crystalline microstructures of the low-bandgap ambipolar quinoidal quaterthiophene derivative (QQT(CN)4) from a chloroform solution. Aligned needle-shaped QQT(CN)4 crystals were formed in thin film microstructures using either open- or closed- capillaries made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Their charge transport properties were evaluated in a bottom-gate top-contact transistor configuration. Hole and electron mobilities were found to be as high as 0.17 and 0.083 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1), respectively, approaching the values previously obtained in individual QQT(CN)4 single crystal microneedles. It was possible to control the size of the needle crystals and the microline arrays by adjusting the structure of the PDMS mold and the concentration of QQT(CN)4 solution. These results demonstrate that the microcrystallization in capillaries technique can be used to simultaneously pattern organic needle single crystals and control the microcrystallization processes. Such a simple and versatile method should be promising for the future development of high-performance organic electronic devices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satoshi Watanabe
- Department of Applied Chemistry and Biochemistry, Kumamoto University , Kumamoto 860-8555, Japan
| | - Takuma Fujita
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science , Tokyo 162-0825, Japan
| | | | - Kazuto Takaishi
- Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Okayama University , Okayama 700-0082 Japan
- Elements Chemistry Laboratory, RIKEN , Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Muto
- Elements Chemistry Laboratory, RIKEN , Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | | | - Masanobu Uchiyama
- Elements Chemistry Laboratory, RIKEN , Saitama 351-0198, Japan
- Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo , Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Aoyama
- Elements Chemistry Laboratory, RIKEN , Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Mutsuyoshi Matsumoto
- Department of Materials Science and Technology, Tokyo University of Science , Tokyo 162-0825, Japan
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42
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Liang F, Ju A, Qiao Y, Guo J, Feng H, Li J, Lu N, Tu J, Lu Z. A simple approach for an optically transparent nanochannel device prototype. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:984-991. [PMID: 26891717 DOI: 10.1039/c6lc00152a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Compared with microfluidic devices, the fabrication of structure-controllable and designable nanochannel devices has been considered to have high costs and complex procedures, which require expensive equipment and high-quality raw materials. Exploring fast, simple and inexpensive approaches in nanochannel fabrication will be greatly helpful to speed up laboratory studies of nanofluidics. Here we developed a simple and inexpensive approach to fabricate a nanochannel device with a glass/epoxy resin/glass structure. The grooves were engraved using a UV laser on an aluminum sacrificial layer on the substrate glass, and epoxy resin was coated on the substrate and stuffed fully into the grooves. Another glass plate with holes for fluidic inlets and outlets was bonded on the top of the resin layer. The nanochannels were formed by etching thin sacrificial layers electrochemically. Meanwhile, the microstructures of the fluidic outlets and inlets could be fabricated simultaneously to the nanochannel formation. The total processing time for the simple nanochannel device took less than 10 hours. Optically transparent nanochannels with a depth of up to 20 nm were achieved. Nanofluidic behaviors in the nanochannels were observed under both optical and fluorescence microscopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fupeng Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, No.2 Si Pai Lou, Nanjing, 210096, China.
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43
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Kelly S, Torres-Verdín C, Balhoff MT. Anomalous liquid imbibition at the nanoscale: the critical role of interfacial deformations. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:2751-2767. [PMID: 26762813 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr04462f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
We observed that imbibition of various Rhodamine B-doped wetting liquids in an array of different-sized, horizontal, two-dimensional silica nanochannels terminated within the channels as a function of hydraulic diameter and liquid type. This front termination is not predicted by the classic Washburn equation for capillary flow, which establishes diffusive dynamics in horizontal channels. Various explanations for the anomalous static imbibition measurements were negated; hydrodynamics, thermodynamics, surface chemistry and mechanics were all taken into consideration for this analysis. The atypical imbibition data are explained by deformed menisci and decreased effective channel diameters. These occurrences are due to the enhanced influence of the following phenomena at the nanoscale: surface forces at fluid-solid boundaries, the presence of quasi-crystalline thin films or boundary regions, and potential solid surface or boundary layer deformation due to meniscus-induced negative pressures (suction). We introduce a phenomenological model which demonstrates how van der Waals forces, common to all interfaces, lead to local menisci deformation and an average reduction in capillary pressure. An expression for the approximate capillary pressure of a symmetric nanoscale meniscus in a cylindrical pore space is derived; its difference from the macroscopic capillary pressure can be expressed by an effective contact angle. Precursor films, adsorbed films and elastocapillary deformation decrease effective diameter, exacerbating meniscus deformation and increases in effective viscosity; we also describe local models and effective values for these phenomena. The findings can be scaled to imbibition and two-phase flow in nanoporous media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaina Kelly
- Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Carlos Torres-Verdín
- Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Matthew T Balhoff
- Department of Petroleum and Geosystems Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
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Shang L, Cheng Y, Wang J, Yu Y, Zhao Y, Chen Y, Gu Z. Osmotic pressure-triggered cavitation in microcapsules. LAB ON A CHIP 2016; 16:251-255. [PMID: 26659708 DOI: 10.1039/c5lc01286d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
A cavitation system was found in solid microcapsules with a membrane shell and a liquid core. By simply treating these microcapsules with hypertonic solutions, cavitation could be controllably triggered without special equipment or complex operations. A cavitation-formed vapor bubble was fully entrapped within the microcapsules, thus providing an advantageous method for fabricating encapsulated microbubbles with controllable dimensions and functional components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luoran Shang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Yao Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Jie Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Yunru Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Yongping Chen
- School of Energy and Environment, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
| | - Zhongze Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China.
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45
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Yin Z, Qi L, Zou H, Sun L. A novel 2D silicon nano-mold fabrication technique for linear nanochannels over a 4 inch diameter substrate. Sci Rep 2016; 6:18921. [PMID: 26752559 PMCID: PMC4707436 DOI: 10.1038/srep18921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2015] [Accepted: 11/30/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel low-cost 2D silicon nano-mold fabrication technique was developed based on Cu inclined-deposition and Ar+ (argon ion) etching. With this technique, sub-100 nm 2D (two dimensional) nano-channels can be etched economically over the whole area of a 4 inch n-type <100> silicon wafer. The fabricating process consists of only 4 steps, UV (Ultraviolet) lithography, inclined Cu deposition, Ar+ sputter etching, and photoresist & Cu removing. During this nano-mold fabrication process, we investigated the influence of the deposition angle on the width of the nano-channels and the effect of Ar+ etching time on their depth. Post-etching measurements showed the accuracy of the nanochannels over the whole area: the variation in width is 10%, in depth it is 11%. However, post-etching measurements also showed the accuracy of the nanochannels between chips: the variation in width is 2%, in depth it is 5%. With this newly developed technology, low-cost and large scale 2D nano-molds can be fabricated, which allows commercial manufacturing of nano-components over large areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifu Yin
- Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and Systems of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Liping Qi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Helin Zou
- Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and Systems of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.,Key Laboratory for Precision and Non-traditional Machining Technology of Ministry of Education, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
| | - Lei Sun
- Key Laboratory for Micro/Nano Technology and Systems of Liaoning Province, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China
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46
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Shang L, Fu F, Cheng Y, Wang H, Liu Y, Zhao Y, Gu Z. Photonic Crystal Microbubbles as Suspension Barcodes. J Am Chem Soc 2015; 137:15533-9. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.5b10612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Luoran Shang
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and
Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Fanfan Fu
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and
Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yao Cheng
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and
Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Huan Wang
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and
Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yuxiao Liu
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and
Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and
Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
- Laboratory
of Environment and Biosafety, Research Institute of Southeast University in Suzhou, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Zhongze Gu
- State
Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Biological Science and
Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing 210096, China
- Laboratory
of Environment and Biosafety, Research Institute of Southeast University in Suzhou, Suzhou 215123, China
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47
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Jansen S, Schenk HJ. On the ascent of sap in the presence of bubbles. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2015; 102:1561-1563. [PMID: 26400778 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1500305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Steven Jansen
- Institute of Systematic Botany and Ecology, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, D-89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - H Jochen Schenk
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, P.O. Box 6850, Fullerton, CA 92834-6850 USA
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48
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Chen X, Goodnight D, Gao Z, Cavusoglu AH, Sabharwal N, DeLay M, Driks A, Sahin O. Scaling up nanoscale water-driven energy conversion into evaporation-driven engines and generators. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7346. [PMID: 26079632 PMCID: PMC4490384 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Evaporation is a ubiquitous phenomenon in the natural environment and a dominant form of energy transfer in the Earth's climate. Engineered systems rarely, if ever, use evaporation as a source of energy, despite myriad examples of such adaptations in the biological world. Here, we report evaporation-driven engines that can power common tasks like locomotion and electricity generation. These engines start and run autonomously when placed at air-water interfaces. They generate rotary and piston-like linear motion using specially designed, biologically based artificial muscles responsive to moisture fluctuations. Using these engines, we demonstrate an electricity generator that rests on water while harvesting its evaporation to power a light source, and a miniature car (weighing 0.1 kg) that moves forward as the water in the car evaporates. Evaporation-driven engines may find applications in powering robotic systems, sensors, devices and machinery that function in the natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Chen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York 10027, New York, USA
| | - Davis Goodnight
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York 10027, New York, USA
| | - Zhenghan Gao
- Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York 10027, New York, USA
| | - Ahmet H. Cavusoglu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Columbia University, New York 10027, New York, USA
| | - Nina Sabharwal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Columbia University, New York 10027, New York, USA
| | - Michael DeLay
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York 10027, New York, USA
| | - Adam Driks
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois 60153, USA
| | - Ozgur Sahin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Columbia University, New York 10027, New York, USA
- Department of Physics, Columbia University, New York 10027, New York, USA
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49
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Ichilmann S, Rücker K, Haase M, Enke D, Steinhart M, Xue L. Adiabatic burst evaporation from bicontinuous nanoporous membranes. NANOSCALE 2015; 7:9185-93. [PMID: 25926406 PMCID: PMC4718142 DOI: 10.1039/c5nr01402f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 04/17/2015] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Evaporation of volatile liquids from nanoporous media with bicontinuous morphology and pore diameters of a few 10 nm is an ubiquitous process. For example, such drying processes occur during syntheses of nanoporous materials by sol-gel chemistry or by spinodal decomposition in the presence of solvents as well as during solution impregnation of nanoporous hosts with functional guests. It is commonly assumed that drying is endothermic and driven by non-equilibrium partial pressures of the evaporating species in the gas phase. We show that nearly half of the liquid evaporates in an adiabatic mode involving burst-like liquid-to-gas conversions. During single adiabatic burst evaporation events liquid volumes of up to 10(7) μm(3) are converted to gas. The adiabatic liquid-to-gas conversions occur if air invasion fronts get unstable because of the built-up of high capillary pressures. Adiabatic evaporation bursts propagate avalanche-like through the nanopore systems until the air invasion fronts have reached new stable configurations. Adiabatic cavitation bursts thus compete with Haines jumps involving air invasion front relaxation by local liquid flow without enhanced mass transport out of the nanoporous medium and prevail if the mean pore diameter is in the range of a few 10 nm. The results reported here may help optimize membrane preparation via solvent-based approaches, solution-loading of nanopore systems with guest materials as well as routine use of nanoporous membranes with bicontinuous morphology and may contribute to better understanding of adsorption/desorption processes in nanoporous media.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachar Ichilmann
- Institut für Chemie neuer Materialien and Zentrum für Physik und Chemie neuer Materialien , Universität Osnabrück , Barbarastr. 7 , 49069 Osnabrück , Germany . ;
| | - Kerstin Rücker
- Institut für Chemie neuer Materialien and Zentrum für Physik und Chemie neuer Materialien , Universität Osnabrück , Barbarastr. 7 , 49069 Osnabrück , Germany . ;
| | - Markus Haase
- Institut für Chemie neuer Materialien and Zentrum für Physik und Chemie neuer Materialien , Universität Osnabrück , Barbarastr. 7 , 49069 Osnabrück , Germany . ;
| | - Dirk Enke
- Universität Leipzig , Institut für Technische Chemie , Linnestr. 3-4 , 04103 Leipzig , Germany
| | - Martin Steinhart
- Institut für Chemie neuer Materialien and Zentrum für Physik und Chemie neuer Materialien , Universität Osnabrück , Barbarastr. 7 , 49069 Osnabrück , Germany . ;
| | - Longjian Xue
- Institut für Chemie neuer Materialien and Zentrum für Physik und Chemie neuer Materialien , Universität Osnabrück , Barbarastr. 7 , 49069 Osnabrück , Germany . ;
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50
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Fuest M, Boone C, Rangharajan KK, Conlisk AT, Prakash S. A three-state nanofluidic field effect switch. NANO LETTERS 2015; 15:2365-71. [PMID: 25730552 DOI: 10.1021/nl5046236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
We report a three-state nanofluidic field effect switch in an asymmetrically gated device with a forward (positive), off (zero), and a reverse (negative) current state for tunable control of ionic transport by systematically controlling the gate potential. The embedded gate electrode allows for modulation of the ionic current through the 16 nm deep channels as a function of electrolyte concentration and gate electrode location for a fixed streamwise potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Fuest
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Caitlin Boone
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Kaushik K Rangharajan
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - A Terrence Conlisk
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
| | - Shaurya Prakash
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United States
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