The exponential power law: partial wetting kinetics and dynamic contact angles

An equation for the kinetics of partial drop spreading is proposed. This equation was empirically derived from experimental data for the spreading kinetics of partially wetting liquids in terms of the wet area versus time. The equation has the form of an exponential power law (EPL), and transforms into the well-known power law for complete wetting, when the equilibrium contact angle approaches zero. The EPL fits very well available experimental data. To lend additional support to the validity of this generalized equation, it will be demonstrated that when it is transformed to present the dynamic contact angle (DCA), it fits very well DCA experimental data for other wetting processes, such as capillary flow and tape coating.     

Surface forces in wetting films

A short review of various components of surface forces acting in a non-symmetrical system such as wetting films is presented here. Experimental results are compared with modified DLVO theory, which includes, besides dispersion and electrostatic, structural (solvation) forces caused by a change in liquid structure in conditions of confined geometry. The peculiarities of disjoining pressure isotherms and conditions of the film stability of non-polar and polar simple liquids, as well as of aqueous solutions of electrolytes and surfactants, are systematically considered from a historical perspective.     

Fields,particles and universality in two dimensions

We discuss the use of field theory for the exact determination of universal properties in two-dimensional statistical mechanics. After a compact derivation of critical exponents of main universality classes, we turn to the off-critical case, considering systems both on the whole plane and in presence of boundaries. The topics we discuss include magnetism, percolation, phase separation, interfaces, wetting.     

Contact Angle Measurement for Dispersed Microspheres Using Scanning Confocal Microscopy

Abstract

Scanning confocal microscopy was used for contact angle measurement of individual microspheres. The measurements were carried out by using different laser‐scanned layers of the particle floating on the air–water interface. The ratio of the diameter for the cross‐section of the protruded area of the particle at the air–water interface to the actual diameter of the particle is used for contact angle measurements. Two systems, i.e., glass and polystyrene microspheres with diameters of 3–10 and 6 µm, respectively, with water were used for this investigation (this size range of particles are most relevant to inhalation applications). Using the developed methodology, contact angles of 27° and 41° were measured (with water) for glass and polystyrene particles, respectively. The theoretical error in contact angle measurement for the developed methodology is determined to be generally about 1° with a maximum of 3° for contact angle of particles ranging from 2 to 24 µm in size; the experimental error was 4–6°. The contact angles of glass and polystyrene particles were compared to those obtained from pendant drop method and confirmed.     

Contact angle hysteresis

In thermodynamic equilibrium, the contact angle is related by Young's equation to the interfacial energies. Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to measure the equilibrium contact angle. When for example placing a drop on a surface its contact angle can assume any value between the advancing Θ_a and receding Θ_r contact angles, depending on how the drop is placed. Θ_a − Θ_r is called contact angle hysteresis. Contact angle hysteresis is essential for our daily life because it provides friction to drops. Many applications, such as coating, painting, flotation, would not be possible without contact angle hysteresis. Contact angle hysteresis is caused by the nanoscopic structure of the surfaces. Here, we review our current understanding of contact angle hysteresis with a focus on water as the liquid. We describe appropriate methods to measure it, discuss the causes of contact angle hysteresis, and describe the preparation of surfaces with low contact angle hysteresis.     

Wetting for self-healing and electrowetting for additive manufacturing

Advanced additive manufacturing actively widens its tool box of wettability-related phenomena to be used in production of new items. Novel self-healing engineering materials incorporate vascular networks with two types of nanochannels: the one containing a resin monomer, whereas another one — a curing agent. If such nanocomposites are damaged locally, both types of channels are locally broken, and they release resin monomer and curing agent droplets. These droplets spread by wettability over the nanotextured matrix, touch each other, and coalesce, which triggers polymerization reaction and crack stitching. Wettability-facilitated droplet spreading is accompanied by liquid imbibition in the pores in the nanofiber network. Such process peculiarities are in focus in the present review. An additional process relevant in direct writing and 3D printing is electrowetting (EW). It stems from the change in the contact angle in response to the electric polarization of dielectric substrates. EW allows movement of droplets on horizontal, vertical, and inverse surfaces, which can significantly facilitate the existing direct writing and 3D printing technologies. Accordingly, EW is also in focus in the present review.     

Bound to continuum intersubband transition optical properties in the strain reducing layer-assisted InAs quantum dot structure

In this paper, the impact of wetting layer, strain reducing layer and dot height on the electronic, linear and nonlinear optical properties of bound to continuum states transitions are investigated in a system of InAs truncated conical shaped quantum dot covered with the In_xGa_1−x As strain reducing layer. The electronic structure, containing two main states of S and wetting layer states (WL), was calculated by solving one electronic band Hamiltonian with effective-mass approximation. The results reveal that the presence of the strain reducing layer in the structure extends the quantum dot emission to longer wavelength which is reported as a red-shift of the photoluminescence (PL) peak in the experimental measurement. This study also highlights the possibility of improving the intersubband optical properties based on the significant size-dependence of the three layer dot matrix by employing the strain reducing and wetting layers. According to this simulation, relatively tall dots on the thick wetting layer introduce the optimized structure size for practical applications to meet the SRL assisted enhanced dot structure.     

GaAs pyramidal quantum dot coupled to wetting layer in an AlGaAs matrix: A strain-free system

In this contribution, the electronic and linear and nonlinear optical properties of pyramid-shaped GaAs quantum dots (QDs) coupled to wetting layer (WL) in an Al_0.3Ga_0.7As matrix have been investigated. This nanostructure is relaxed from strain effects due to very small lattice-mismatching. Three transitions of P-to-S, WL-to-P, and WL-to-S were considered and the corresponding transition dipole moments, oscillator strengths, and linear and nonlinear optical properties regarding to these transitions were investigated as a function of the QD height. The results showed that for P-to-S transition, which is a purely in-plane-polarized transition, the dependence of electronic and optical properties on the size is moderate and can be neglected. But for WL-to-P and WL-to-S transitions, which are in-plane- and z-polarized transitions, respectively, the electronic as well as optical properties are strongly size-dependent. Furthermore, a competition between WL-to-S and WL-to-P transitions was observed when the QD size changed.     

页岩矿物不同润湿性表征与吸附微观机理

无机矿物作为页岩气吸附的重要载体,其表面性质对甲烷吸附能力有着重要影响,而润湿性作为固体重要表面性质之一,对矿物气体吸附能力的影响不可忽视.文章以蒙脱石和石英作为研究对象,通过对矿物表面甲基化(-CH₃)和羟基化(-OH)处理来改变其润湿性,以探究无机矿物表面润湿性对甲烷吸附能力的影响.采用分子动力学方法研究矿物体系的润湿性,用接触角对润湿性进行定量表征,并构建纳米狭缝,结合巨正则蒙特卡罗方法模拟润湿性改变前后,CH₄在矿物中的吸附变化.研究结果表明,水滴在羟基化矿物表面迅速破裂并铺展在矿物表面,而在甲基化表面铺展程度较小,普遍呈半球形.羟基化蒙脱石和石英表面的润湿接触角分别为12.7°和26.5°,均小于其甲基化表面接触角62.5°和85.7°.甲基化矿物甲烷吸附量均高于其羟基化,气体几乎大都以吸附状态位于孔隙壁面,随着矿物亲水性的减弱,其对甲烷吸附能力增强.     

四层对称结构随角异色颜料制备与光谱特性研究

采用经过酸碱预处理的具有干涉色的云母钛作为基质材料,分别包覆氧化铁、氧化铬、氧化钴制得三层结构随角异色颜料。通过改变包覆层数和各层间的排列顺序,增加基质材料与外层包覆材料的反射率差值,获得变色效果更加明显的四层结构随角异色功能颜料。用X-Rite MA86Ⅱ5角度分光光度计对颜料的反射率光谱和CIE色度值进行测试分析,研究了四层结构对颜料随角异色效果的影响,分析比较不同的包覆物与颜料随角变色效果的关系。结果表明,采用多层膜包覆,能够增加基底材料与外层包覆层的反射率,增强颜料的颜色,颜料的颜色在不同的角度会有更明显的变化,随角异色效果更加显著。