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Dissolution at a Meniscus-Adhered Nanofiber

Shihao Tian^1,2, Quanzi Yuan^1,2,*

1 State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
2 School of Engineering Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

* Corresponding Author: Quanzi Yuan. Email:

The International Conference on Computational & Experimental Engineering and Sciences 2023, 27(4), 1-1. https://doi.org/10.32604/icces.2023.09327

Abstract

When one soluble fiber is partially merged into liquid, a meniscus forms and the fiber can be dissolved into one pinpoint with curvature. This process has been used in the manufacture of sophisticated pinpoints. However, it is hard to observe the dissolution process in the laboratory and the dissolution mechanisms are still far from being well understood in the nanoscale. Here we utilize molecular dynamics simulations to study the dissolution process of one meniscus-adhered nanofiber. We find that the tip’s curvature radius decreases and then increases, reaching the maximum in the middle state. This state is defined as the “Sh (Sharpest) point”, which can be used as the termination criterion in applications. What’s more, the shape of the pinpoints can be well fitted to the double-Boltzmann function. The upper part is caused by the competition between the chemical potential gradient and molecular forces, while the lower part is controlled by the Cahn-Hilliard equation. The parameters of the double-Boltzmann function have a strong correlation with the width and the material of the nanofiber, where the critical width value is around 125 Å. Furthermore, a shape factor, Sh, allows characterizing the sharpness of the dissolved pinpoints. Finally, the dissolved pinpoints are proved to have the characteristic of shielding capillary effects compared with the normal pinpoints based on theory and simulations. Our findings may help to comprehend the dissolution process of meniscus-adhered nanofiber and provide theoretical support for nano-instrument manufacture.

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Keywords

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