NSF/Sandia: Controlling Liquid Motions in Nanoenvironments Using Mechanical, Thermal, and Electrical Methods

摘要：0623973本课题主要研究在机械载荷、温度梯度或波动、电场作用下纳米孔中液体运动的实验测量。通过一组渗透和脱滤试验，分析各种纳米多孔材料的吸附等温线曲线，如纳米多孔碳、沸石及类沸石材料、纳米多孔二氧化硅和氧化铝等。该研究将揭示纳米环境中固体、液体、气体和界面相之间复杂的相互作用，这在传统的界面和表面理论框架中仍然相对未被研究。设想在纳米尺度下，由于约束尺寸效应和质能交换，液体的行为将与宏观水平上的行为（如普通的毛细效应或吸收现象）有根本的不同。该研究还将为开发先进的能量吸收结构、小尺寸和高功率密度的智能结构等提供坚实的科学基础，这对国内经济，特别是对航空航天、汽车、军事和国家安全产业至关重要。例如，能量吸收系统可用于开发高性能的士兵装甲；电动或热可控驱动系统可应用于下一代可变形飞机。在进行基础研究的同时，还将开展相应的教育计划，这将大大提高纳米材料研究对高中生、大学生、研究生以及普通大众的曝光率。

ABSTRACT: 0623973The proposed study will be focused on the experimental measurements of liquid motions in nanopores as mechanical loadings, temperature gradients or fluctuations, or electric fields are applied. The sorption isotherm curves of a variety of nanoporous materials, such as nanoporous carbon, zeolite and zeolite-like materials, nanoporous silica and alumina, etc., will be analyzed through a set of infiltration and defitltration tests. This research will shed light on the complicated interactions among solid, liquid, gas, and interface phases in nanoenvironments, which remain relatively un-investigated in the framework of conventional interface and surface theories. It is envisioned that, at the nanometer scale, due to the confinement size effect and the mass/energy exchange, the liquid behaviors would be fundamental different from that at the macroscopic level, e.g. the ordinary capillary effect or absorption phenomena. The proposed research efforts will also provide a solid scientific basis for developing advanced energy absorption structures, small-sized and high-power-density intelligent structures, among others, which is immensely important to the domestic economy, especially for the aerospace, automobile, military, and national security industries. For instance, the energy absorption systems can be used to develop high-performance soldier armors; the electrically or thermally controllable actuation systems can be applied for next-generation shape-changing aircrafts. Together with the proposed basic research, a matching education program will also be carried out, which will considerably enhance the exposure of study of nanomaterials to high-school students, college students, graduate-school students, as well as the general public.