Gibbsian Surface Thermodynamics for Forefront Applications

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Systems with curved fluid interfaces (drops, bubbles, or interfacial menisci between two fluids inside a solid pore) are everywhere. Curved fluid interface effects determine the behaviour of a vast array of environmental and industrial processes, novel technologies, and forefront science. Example systems include cloud droplets, bubbles used for industrial froth flotation separations, fluid menisci that control enhanced oil recovery from nanoporous solid reservoirs in the earth, technologies to avoid droplets sticking to surfaces (superhydrophobicity), technologies to ensure droplets stick to surfaces (material adhesion and 3D printing), metal processing (casting, welding, & soldering), nanostructured solid-fluid hybrid materials for next-generation energy storage devices, and the forefront scientific questions of the emerging field of nanofluidics. Research in these fields is vast, but largely experimental, and the thermodynamically rigorous approach that could help has typically been applied only to relatively unsophisticated systems containing a single component, having ideal phases and uncomplicated geometries, and lacking other practical complexities such as surface roughness. Long-term Vision: My research program develops new fundamental thermodynamic principles and equations that can best model and predict the complex real-world fluids in today's forefront engineering materials, systems, and processes. The developed theory is anchored and validated with high-quality experimental data. Building on my internationally-recognized expertise, this program trains the next generation of world-leading thermodynamicists. Five-year Objectives: 1. Advance multicomponent equations of state for: i) liquid-vapour surface tensions and ii) liquid-liquid interfacial tensions (surface/interfacial tensions are required for all predictions of systems with curved fluid interfaces), and iii) electrolyte solution thermodynamics (electrolytes are salts that dissociate into ions in solution and govern diverse processes from oil recovery to electricity flow in energy storage devices). 2. Advance theoretical descriptions of wetting (wetting is the study of how a fluid spreads across a solid surface or another fluid), specifically addressing fluid interface pinning on rough solid surfaces and complex wetting in liquid-liquid-vapour and liquid-liquid-liquid systems. 3. Advance theoretical descriptions of multicomponent fluid phase equilibria in nanoporous solids. The major outcome of this research will be the proposal, development, and validation of new broadly applicable mathematical equations. It has been said that, "A picture says a thousand words"; I like to say that, "An equation draws a thousand pictures." This research will introduce novel predictive capabilities that apply broadly across areas of forefront science and technology, leading to advances in surface science, nanoscience, environmental science, oil production, and materials processing and design.