Direct measurement of activation time and nucleation rate in capillary-condensed water nanomeniscus

Journal Article · Mon Nov 18 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4832879· OSTI ID:22254001

Sung, Baekman; Kim, Jongwoo; Stambaugh, Corey; Chang, Sung-Jin; Jhe, Wonho ^[1]

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1. Center for Nano-Liquid, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul 151-747 (Korea, Republic of)

We demonstrate real-time observation of nucleation of the single water nanomeniscus formed via capillary condensation. We directly measure (i) activation time by time-resolved atomic force microscopy and (ii) nucleation rate by statistical analysis of its exponential distribution, which is the experimental evidence that the activation process is stochastic and follows the Poisson statistics. It implies that formation of the water nanomeniscus is triggered by nucleation, which requires activation for producing a nucleus. We also find the dependence of the nucleation rate on the tip-sample distance and temperature.

• OSTI ID: 22254001
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 103, Issue 21; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPY
NANOSTRUCTURES
NUCLEATION
STATISTICS
STOCHASTIC PROCESSES
TIME RESOLUTION
WATER