Capillary Diodes with Selective Oil-Water Wetting Dynamics

[1605809] colosqui， carlos该项目将研究一种分离水和油（通常被定义为不溶于水的有机化合物）的创新方法，通过调整工程多孔介质中排水和吸收的润湿/脱湿动力学。该项目将推进具有复杂纳米和微尺度结构的“真实”表面的（动态）润湿和液体粘附的基础知识。这些新知识将推动防污、减阻和微/纳米流体处理技术的发展，对美国经济、基础设施和环境产生重大影响。PI最近的理论发展表明，润湿过程的动力学，呈现出传统的基于连续体的确定性预测所不能描述的非平凡状态。这些理论预测已经被分子动力学模拟证实，最近，通过PI小组和其他小组的实验工作。在这些发展的基础上，该项目将研究利用创新技术应用的新现象的可行性，例如从毛细管驱动到热激活润湿的交叉。PI和co -PI的跨学科和互补技能将使特定研究目标的实现成为可能。要理解这一点，就需要考虑接触线的热运动的影响，当接近机械平衡时，热运动在动力学中占主导地位。该项目旨在为理解和控制纳米/微结构介质（如合成过滤器、海绵和织物、土壤、砂岩和生物膜）中自发和强制吸吸或排水的动力学提供基础知识。本项目将研究的研究假设是，微/纳米结构表面上不同液体对的润湿/脱湿动力学（润湿滞后）的显著不对称性可以设计和控制为工程毛细管“二极管”，以有效分离不混溶液体。pi测试这一假设的方法是使用表面纳米/微观结构来控制动态滞后效应，根据润湿线的运动方向和液体的物理化学性质（如粘度、密度、界面张力），动态滞后效应将导致快速或缓慢的润湿（停滞）。该项目的中心目标是产生必要的基础知识，以理解和控制纳米/微结构介质（如合成过滤器、海绵、织物、土壤、砂岩和生物膜）上不同液体对的自发和强制吸排动力学。在理论发展和初步实验结果的基础上，该项目有两个具体目标：(1)调整快润湿和慢润湿之间的交叉点；(2)控制慢（动力学）状态下的弛豫速率。理论预测将指导实验参数和物理条件的选择，以实现两个特定目标：(1)调整快润湿和慢润湿之间的交叉点；(2)控制慢（动力学）状态下的弛豫速率。拟议的研究有可能对环境修复和水处理产生重大变革。从研究生教育到K-12，学生和未被充分代表的少数民族的参与范围很广。

1605809Colosqui, CarlosThis project will examine an innovative approach for separation of water and oils, generally defined as organic compounds insoluble in water, by tuning the in wetting/de-wetting dynamics of drainage and absorption dynamics in engineered porous media. This project will advance the fundamental knowledge of (dynamic) wetting and liquid adhesion on "real" surfaces having complex nano- and microscale structure. The new knowledge will advance technologies for anti-fouling, drag reduction, and micro/nano-fluidic handling, having large impacts on the U.S. economy, infrastructure, and the environment.Recent theoretical developments by the PI indicate that the dynamics of the wetting process, present nontrivial regimes not described by conventional continuum-based and deterministic predictions. These theoretical predictions have been confirmed by molecular dynamics simulations and, more recently, through experimental work by the PI's group and other groups. Building upon these developments this project will examine the feasibility of exploiting novel phenomena such as the crossover from capillary-driven to thermally-activated wetting for innovative technical applications. The accomplishment of specific research objectives will be enabled by interdisciplinary and complementary skills of the PI and Co-PIs. To understand this will require incorporating the effects of thermal motion of the contact line which dominate the dynamics as mechanical equilibrium is approached. This project aims to generate fundamental knowledge required to understand and control the dynamics of spontaneous and forced imbibition or drainage in nano/microstructured media such as synthetic filters, sponges, and fabrics, or soil, sandstone, and biological membranes. The research hypothesis this project will examine is that significant asymmetries in wetting/de-wetting dynamics (wetting hysteresis) of different liquid pairs on micro/nanostructured surfaces can be designed and controlled to engineered capillary "diodes" for efficient separation of immiscible liquids. The PIs approach to test this hypothesis is to use the surface nano/microstructure to control dynamic hysteresis effects that will lead to fast or slow (arrested) wetting depending on the direction of motion of the wetting line and physicochemical properties of the liquids (e.g., viscosity, density, interfacial tensions). The central objective of this project is to generate fundamental knowledge required to understand and control the dynamics of spontaneous and forced imbibition/drainage by different liquid pairs on nano/micro-structured media such as synthetic filters, sponges, and fabrics, or soil, sandstone, and biological membranes. Building upon theoretical developments and preliminary experimental results the project has two specific objectives: (1) Tuning the crossover points between fast and slow wetting regimes; (2) Controlling the relaxation rate in the slow (kinetic) regime. Theoretical predictions will guide the selection of experimental parameters and physical conditions to accomplish two specific objectives: (1) Tuning the crossover point between fast and slow wetting regimes; and, (2) Controlling the relaxation rate in the slow (kinetic) regime. The proposed research has the potential to be highly transformative to environmental remediation and water treatment. The engagement of students and underrepresented minorities is extensive from graduate education to K-12.