NIRT on Wetting of Surfaces with Nano-Scale Structures

该项目将研究限制在几纳米大小的空间内的液体的基础科学和实际工程。鉴于目前正在努力开发基于微和纳米流体学的技术，这种类型的理解可能具有巨大的实际重要性。需要这种知识的一个例子是，正在开发的“芯片实验室”设备有望在医学和化学科学中发挥重要作用。当液体被限制在比分子大小大不了多少的空间中时，其物理性质就会受到表面性质的影响。例如，液体在小毛细管内的冷凝发生在不同的蒸汽压下，而在同一材料的平面上发生冷凝。这种差异取决于液体和毛细管壁之间的界面能，这正是工程师通常在油井中插入表面活性剂以提高多孔岩石二次采收率的原因。在这个项目中，我们将研究决定液固界面能的基本过程。这个项目的一个特点是，我们能够制造具有可控纳米尺度特征的宏观样品，这使得对受限液体性质的精确原位测量成为可能。除了以实验室为基础的技术，如激光反馈干涉测量和共聚焦光学显微镜，该项目将广泛使用我们国家实验室的同步加速器x射线和中子散射设备。实验将辅以理论和计算机模拟。参加这个项目的学生将在这个国家致力于的前沿研究方面得到良好的训练。目前开发基于微和纳米流体技术的努力有望为处理基本医疗和化学应用提供具有成本效益的方法。例如，经常讨论的“芯片上的实验室”应该使人们能够使用少量的液体进行基本的科学实验和实际的诊断测试，如果用标准量进行，要么昂贵要么危险。这些发展最终将遇到的一个真正的问题是，被限制在比分子大小大不了多少的空间内的液体的性质通常与无限制液体的性质不同。这是因为表面对较小样品的影响更大。该项目将使用现代实验室技术，如激光反馈干涉测量和共聚焦光学显微镜，以及我们国家实验室的同步加速器x射线和中子散射设备，研究特殊制造的纳米级结构中液体的科学和工程特性。参加这个项目的学生将在这个国家致力于的前沿研究方面得到良好的训练。因此，该项目将满足提高我国科学/技术知识的双重国家目标，同时为我国实验室的研究培养下一代男女

This project will study the fundamental science and practical engineering of liquids confined to spaces of the order of up to just a few nanometers in size. In view of current efforts to develop technologies based on micro- and nano-fluidics this type of understanding can be of immense practical importance. One example where the need for this knowledge arises is in connection with the developing 'lab on a chip' devices that promise to play an important role in medical and chemical science. When liquids are confined to spaces that are not much larger than the molecular size their physical properties are influenced by the properties of the surface. For example, the condensation of liquid within a small capillary occurs at different vapor pressure from condensation on a flat surface of the same material. The difference depends on the interfacial energy between the liquid and the capillary walls and this is precisely the reason why engineers commonly insert surfactants into oil wells in order to enhance secondary oil recovery from porous rocks. In this project we will study the fundamental processes that determine the liquid-solid interfacial energy. A special feature of this project is that we are able to manufacture macroscopic samples with controlled nano-scale features that make precision in-situ measurements of the properties of confined liquids feasible. In addition to the laboratory-based techniques such as laser feedback interferometry and confocal optical microscopy, this project will make extensive use of synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering facilities at our national laboratories. The experiments will be complemented by theory and computer simulations. Students participating in this project will be well trained in the cutting edge research that this country is committed to.%%%Current efforts to develop technologies based on micro- and nano-fluidics promise to provide cost effect methods to deal with basic medical and chemical applications. For example, the often discussed 'lab on a chip' should make it possible to carry out both basic scientific experiments and practical diagnostic tests using only small amounts of fluids that would be either costly or dangerous if done with standard amounts. A real problem that these developments will encounter eventually is that the properties of liquids that are confined to spaces that are not much larger than the molecular size are often different than those of unconfined liquids. This occurs because of the increased influence of the surface on smaller samples. This project will use both modern laboratory-based techniques such as laser feedback interferometry and confocal optical microscopy, as well as synchrotron x-ray and neutron scattering facilities at our national laboratories to study the scientific and engineering properties of liquids confined to specially manufactured nano-scale structures. Students participating in this project will be well trained in the cutting edge research that this country is committed to. Thus, this project will satisfy the dual national goals of advancing our scientific/technological knowledge while simultaneously preparing the next generation of men and women for research in our countries laboratories.***