Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marta Goncalves, Jin Young Kim, Yeseul Kim, Najaf Rubab, Narina Jung, Takeshi Asai, Sungchan Hong, Byung Mook Weon
Summary: In this study, the water dynamics on a porous fabric substrate were investigated through in-situ observations using X-ray and optical imaging techniques. The researchers demonstrated the impact of spreading and wicking on water imbibition and evaporation, providing insights into the alterations of evaporation due to porosity in fabric materials and the interaction between face masks and respiratory droplets.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Shanbin Xue, Fanqiang Meng, Peng Zhang, Junjie Wang, Jiuwen Bao, Linfeng He
Summary: This study showed that the initial moisture conditions of old mortar have an impact on the microstructure of repair mortar, with pre-dried old mortar leading to severe shrinkage cracking in the repair mortar, and water-saturated old mortar potentially causing discontinuity between repair mortar and old mortar. Additionally, shrinkage cracks in repair mortar can promote water infiltration, posing a threat to the durability of the repair system.
Article
Engineering, Chemical
Jun Zhang, Josh Tuohey, Negin Amini, David A. Morton, Karen P. Hapgood
Summary: This study used artificial models to represent porous particle beds and found that the porous structure has a more significant effect on liquid capillary rise than material surface wettability. The experimental results also pave the way for a new production method for reproducible models of irregular powder beds.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Robert Fischer, Christian M. Schlepuetz, Jianlin Zhao, Pierre Boillat, Dirk Hegemann, Rene M. Rossi, Dominique Derome, Jan Carmeliet
Summary: The wicking dynamics in yarns are not solely determined by inter-fiber pore filling, but are mainly influenced by the transition processes between pores and the structure of the pore network. The yarn pore system consists of a sparse network of long and narrow pores, which leads to step-wise wicking dynamics with fast pore filling events and long waiting times between filling events.
JOURNAL OF COLLOID AND INTERFACE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Shanbin Xue, Peng Zhang, Junjie Wang, Jiuwen Bao, Songbai Han, Linfeng He
Summary: This study investigated the influence of microstructure on water transport in heat-treated cement mortar, revealing the changes in absorption characteristics with thermal damage evolution and discussing the causes of anomalous water absorption. Methods were proposed to estimate the effective tortuosity of water channels in cement mortar damaged by different temperatures, and the estimated water channels size was utilized to predict the water permeability of the heat-treated mortar. Comparison between predicted and measured permeabilities analyzed the correlation and difference between unsaturated and saturated water transport in heat-treated cement mortar.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Eike M. Thaysen, Ian B. Butler, Aliakbar Hassanpouryouzband, Damien Freitas, Fernando Alvarez-Borges, Samuel Krevor, Niklas Heinemann, Robert Atwood, Katriona Edlmann
Summary: Hydrogen can be used as an energy store in the renewable energy sector to balance supply and demand. Storage of hydrogen in subsurface porous media can provide high storage capacities, but the recoverable volume of hydrogen is uncertain. X-ray computed microtomography was used to study the displacement and capillary trapping of hydrogen by brine in a Clashach sandstone core under pore fluid pressures of 2-7 MPa. The results show that hydrogen saturation during drainage was around 50% of the pore volume and independent of the pore fluid pressure. Hydrogen recovery during secondary imbibition decreased with pressure, but increased with higher brine capillary numbers. Based on these findings, it is recommended to use shallower, lower pressure sites for future hydrogen storage operations in porous media.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HYDROGEN ENERGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Shanbin Xue, Peng Zhang, E. H. Lehmann, J. Hovind, F. H. Wittmann
Summary: Neutron radiography was used to observe and quantify water exchange between fresh and old cement mortars. The results showed that prewetting the old mortar significantly slowed down its extraction of water from the repair mortar.
Article
Water Resources
Shuo Yang, Gaopan Kong, Zhen Cao, Zan Wu, Hongxia Li
Summary: Gas-liquid displacement in porous media was studied to understand the evolution of finger structures after invading break-through. Experimental flow imaging and digital image processing were used to visualize the finger morphologies in different flow regimes. The study found that finger structures of capillary fingering regime remain the same after breakthrough, whereas fingers of viscous fingering regime keep expanding until steady state is reached. Quantitative analysis revealed a dramatic increase in gas saturation and fractal dimension in the viscous fingering regime.
ADVANCES IN WATER RESOURCES
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Mehdi Mahdaviara, Mohammad Sharifi, Sahar Bakhshian, Nima Shokri
Summary: In this study, deep and ensemble learning techniques were used to predict spontaneous imbibition (SI) recovery in porous media under different boundary conditions. The analysis was based on an extensive experimental dataset, which resulted in robust models linking SI recovery to various factors. The models showed excellent performance in terms of accuracy and generality, and also alleviated the complexities associated with traditional correlation functions. These findings have significant implications for a more comprehensive understanding of fluid flow in porous materials, and have important applications in environmental and energy-related challenges.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yunzhong Zhu, Junling Ding, Wenjia Wang, Decai Ma, Biao Wang
Summary: Detecting the shape of the crystal-melt interface during growth is crucial for understanding the kinetics of boundary phase change and manufacturing high-quality crystalline materials. However, this detection has not yet been achieved, even for the widely used Czochralski system. In this study, we determine the evolution of the interface shape in situ by analyzing the correlation between the growth interface electromotive force (GEMF) and the seed crystal temperature of a growing boule. Our findings show good agreement with computational simulations and experimental results, providing real-time kinetics of crystallization and quantitative interface feedback for optimizing growth conditions and improving crystal quality. This GEMF-based feedback mechanism has the potential to be applied in other directional solidification methods for preventing interface instability and homogenizing component distribution in oxide, semiconductor, and metal crystalline materials.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Lianwei Xiao, Guangpu Zhu, Lei Zhang, Jun Yao, Hai Sun
Summary: This study systematically investigates the impact of disorder on the imbibition process, finding that disorder and wettability have different effects on displacement under different capillary numbers. At low capillary numbers, displacement is governed by wettability; at intermediate capillary numbers, only the largest disorder has a significant influence; at high capillary numbers, disorder greatly affects front morphology and displacement efficiency. The transition from capillary fingering to viscous fingering is observed at intermediate capillary numbers, leading to higher displacement efficiency.
JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
(2021)
Article
Thermodynamics
Masahito Nishikawara, Shohei Tomita, Hiroshi Yokoyama, Hideki Yanada
Summary: Loop heat pipes (LHPs) are promising in thermal control systems and understanding the phase distribution is important for improving evaporator performance. This study visualized the liquid-vapor phase distribution on the contact surface and investigated its relationship with the heat-transfer coefficient.
APPLIED THERMAL ENGINEERING
(2024)
Article
Electrochemistry
Andrea Tummino, Ernesto Scoppola, Giovanna Fragneto, Philipp Gutfreund, Armando Maestro, Robert A. W. Dryfe
Summary: The properties of lipid monolayers at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions have been studied extensively due to their biological relevance and potential to control ion and electron transfer across cellular membranes. Electrochemical characterization techniques have shown that lipid depletion and presence influence the intermixing of the two liquid phases at the nanoscale level. This study represents the first neutron reflectometry-electrochemistry investigation of ITIES, offering new possibilities for bioelectrochemical characterization and scattering based techniques at the liquid-liquid interface.
ELECTROCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
A. El Abd, M. Taman, S. E. Kichanov, E. Hamad, R. . M. Nazarov
Summary: Neutron radiography was used to study the relation between water sorptivities and capillary penetration coefficient, revealing that water sorptivities are directly proportional to capillary penetration coefficient, with capillary porosity acting as a proportionality constant. Samples coated with a polymeric waterproofing slurry were found to absorb water more quickly than those with acrylic paint.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
M. G. Wijburg, S. Wang, A. A. Darhuber
Summary: We studied the imbibition and drying of water/co-solvent mixtures in paper and glass microfiber filters. The experiments revealed the complex interplay between solution imbibition, solvent evaporation, and solvent-mediated pore-fiber transport. The results showed that liquids occupied the micron-scale inter-fiber pores on the paper sheet, while polar liquids like water and co-solvents resided in the nm-scale intra-fiber pores in thermodynamic equilibrium. The timescales for achieving equilibrium depended on the water content, leading to the temporary trapping of co-solvents in a non-equilibrium configuration. The combination of two experimental methods allowed the determination of the overall co-solvent content and estimation of the fractions residing in the pores and fibers of a paper sheet. These findings are important for understanding solution behavior in paper and the dynamics of aqueous inkjet printing inks.
COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Manuel Brinker, Patrick Huber
Summary: Electrosorption-induced mechanical stress generation of up to 600 kPa in large-scale nanoporous silicon cantilevers wetted by aqueous electrolytes is reversible and adjustable at will by potential variations of approximate to 1 V. This electro-actuation is traced to the concerted action of 100 billions of parallel nanopores per square centimeter cross-section and determination of the capacitive charge-stress coupling parameter upon ion adsorption and desorption.
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
A. Siva Sesha Reddy, A. Kityk, J. Jedryka, N. Purnachand, P. Rakus, A. Wojciechowski, A. S. Andrushchak, V. Ravi Kumar, N. Veeraiah
Summary: This study investigated the nonlinear optical properties of nickel oxide doped Li2SO4-MgO-P2O5 glasses, finding that the light-induced birefringence increases with the quantity of NiO up to 0.8 mol% but decreases with higher concentrations. The optimal photorefractive efficiency is achieved with NiO content of about 0.8 mol%, making the doped glasses favorable for potential applications.
Article
Spectroscopy
Yaroslav Shchur, Guillermo Beltramo, Anatolii S. Andrushchak, Svetlana Vitusevich, Patrick Huber, Volodymyr Adamiv, Ihor Teslyuk, Nazarii Boichuk, Andriy Kityk
Summary: The lattice dynamics of preferentially aligned nanocrystals formed by drying aqueous Ba(NO3)(2) solutions in mesoporous silica glass are investigated. The Raman scattering experiment indicates that the peak positions and intensities of the Raman spectra of the nanoconfined and macroscopic crystals are identical. Interestingly, comparatively large single-crystalline regions of Ba(NO3)(2) embedded in the porous host are observed.
SPECTROCHIMICA ACTA PART A-MOLECULAR AND BIOMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY
(2022)
Article
Physics, Condensed Matter
Yaroslav Shchur, Andriy V. Kityk
Summary: The lattice dynamics of LiH2PO4, a hydrogen bonded representative of the KH2PO4 crystal family, were investigated using first principles density functional theory. Phonon dispersion relations, density of phonon states, electron density maps, and heat capacity were calculated. The experimental Raman spectra were interpreted based on eigen-vector analysis, and it was concluded that the stable phonon spectrum and the tight electrostatic coupling between Li ions and tetrahedrally coordinated oxygen ions are the main factors contributing to the crystal lattice stability and the lack of ferroelectricity in LiH2PO4 crystal.
PHYSICA B-CONDENSED MATTER
(2022)
Article
Physics, Applied
Benjamin Maillet, Guido Dittrich, Patrick Huber, Philippe Coussot
Summary: Drying plays a crucial role in the fabrication and application of functional nanoporous materials. This study uses magnetic resonance imaging to observe the drying process of a model nanoporous material and proposes a predictive model to describe the drying characteristics based on parameters such as pore size, permeability, and desorption curve.
PHYSICAL REVIEW APPLIED
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Manuel Brinker, Marc Thelen, Manfred May, Dagmar Rings, Tobias Krekeler, Pirmin Lakner, Thomas F. Keller, Florian Bertram, Norbert Huber, Patrick Huber
Summary: Macroscopic strain experiments have shown that silicon crystals with parallel nanopores functionalized with the polymer polypyrrole exhibit large and reversible electrochemomechanical actuation. However, the microscopic behavior of this system and the collective motorics of the nanopore array are still not well understood. In this study, we used synchrotron-based x-ray diffraction and micromechanical finite-element simulations to investigate the evolution of electrostrains in this material. Our results suggest that the in-plane mechanical response is isotropic, despite the anisotropic elasticity of the single-crystalline host matrix. However, the structural anisotropy resulting from the parallel alignment of the nanopores leads to significant differences between the in-plane and out-of-plane electromechanical response.
PHYSICAL REVIEW MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Stella Gries, Manuel Brinker, Berit Zeller-Plumhoff, Dagmar Rings, Tobias Krekeler, Elena Longo, Imke Greving, Patrick Huber
Summary: Many biological materials have both small nanoscale pores and large macroscopic capillaries, allowing for optimized mass transport and lightweight structures. This study presents a novel approach to create hierarchical porosity in artificial materials using metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) and photolithography, resulting in single-crystalline silicon with bimodal pore size distribution. The process involves a metal-catalyzed reduction-oxidation reaction and silver nanoparticles acting as catalysts. The resulting hierarchically porous silicon membranes have potential applications in energy storage, sensorics, and opto-fluidic applications.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Houda El Karout, Yaroslav Shchur, Anatoliy Andrushchak, Bouchta Sahraoui, Robert Wielgosz, Olha Kityk, Jaroslaw Jedryka, Yurii Slyvka, Andriy V. Kityk
Summary: We have demonstrated the synthesis of organic-inorganic nanocomposite materials using mesoporous silica (PS) matrix and benzil (BZL) nanocrystals. The unique textural morphology of the composite materials significantly influences their nonlinear optical properties. By controlling the diameter of the silica nanochannels, we were able to control the polarization anisotropy and nonlinear optical response of the materials.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yaroslav Shchur, Andrii Bendak, Guillermo Beltramo, Anatoliy S. Andrushchak, Svetlana Vitusevich, Denys Pustovyj, Bouchta Sahraoui, Yurii Slyvka, Andriy V. Kityk
Summary: The synthesis of nanosized organic benzil crystals within the mesoporous SiO2 host matrix was studied using various techniques. It was found that the structural properties of the benzil nanocrystals were preserved when embedded into SiO2 host membranes. The confinement had minimal impact on the lattice vibrational properties.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Mohamed Aejaz Kolmangadi, Zhuoqing Li, Glen J. Smales, Brian R. Pauw, Eugen Wuckert, Aileen Raab, Sabine Laschat, Patrick Huber, Andreas Schoenhals
Summary: This study investigates the molecular mobility and phase transition behavior of a guanidinium-based columnar ionic liquid crystal confined in nanopores. The results show that the pore size and surface wettability significantly affect the molecular dynamics and phase transition behavior of the system.
ACS APPLIED NANO MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Mintu Karmakar, Swarnajit Chatterjee, Matthieu Mangeat, Heiko Rieger, Raja Paul
Summary: We studied the active Potts model with site occupancy restriction or on-site repulsion and found that it exhibits a surprisingly rich variety of self-organized spatial patterns. The introduction of volume exclusion features leads to the occurrence of bands and lanes of moving particles, and with strong volume exclusion, low temperature, high activity, and large particle density, jams due to motility-induced phase separation can be facilitated. Through phase diagrams, we identified phase boundaries and studied the transition between jammed and free-flowing phases, providing qualitative and quantitative predictions on how jamming might be delayed or dissolved. We also formulated and analyzed a hydrodynamic theory for the restricted APM, which predicts various features of the microscopic model.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Alexander Meinhardt, Pirmin Lakner, Patrick Huber, Thomas F. Keller
Summary: This study investigates the changes in thickness and Young modulus of perchlorate doped polypyrrole thin film under potential-induced variations using electrochemical atomic force microscopy. The results show that the thickness and Young modulus of the film increase linearly during oxidation and decrease during reduction. Additionally, the study reveals the complex relationship between the surface topography and elastic properties of the polypyrrole film.
NANOSCALE ADVANCES
(2023)
Article
Physics, Fluids & Plasmas
Chul-Ung Woo, Heiko Rieger, Jae Dong Noh
Summary: We investigate the phase transitions of the q-state Brownian Potts model in 2D. Through Monte Carlo simulations, we find a continuous phase transition from a paramagnetic to a ferromagnetic phase even for q > 4. In contrast to the equilibrium model, diffusion-induced dynamical positional disorder suppresses phase coexistence, leading to a continuous transition.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Arda Yildirim, Christina Krause, Patrick Huber, Andreas Schoenhals
Summary: This study investigates the phase behavior and molecular dynamics of HATn with different alkyl chain lengths using various techniques. The results reveal the significant impact of alkyl chain length on the system properties and provide detailed discussion on the observed relaxation processes.
JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR LIQUIDS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
A. Siva Sesha Reddy, A. Kityk, J. Jedryka, P. Rakus, A. Wojciechowski, N. Venkatramaiah, V. Ravi Kumar, N. Veeraiah
Summary: The elastic coefficients and micro-hardness of Au2O3 doped PBSE glass ceramics were evaluated as a function of Au2O3 content using ultrasonic velocity measurements. The results showed a decreasing trend of elastic coefficients and micro-hardness with increasing concentration of Au2O3, due to the presence of gold metallic particles and [SeO3]2- groups that induced imperfections in the samples.
JOURNAL OF NON-CRYSTALLINE SOLIDS
(2022)