Influence of Electric Fields and Surface Chemistry on Ice Nucleation Kinetics

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Carpenter ◽  
Vaibhav Bahadur
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Current ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Dielectric Layer ◽  
Supercooled Water ◽  
Freezing Temperature ◽  
Ice Nucleation ◽  
Crystal Nucleation ◽  
Nucleation Kinetics ◽  
Bubble Generation

The majority of studies on ice formation have attempted to prevent or reduce ice build-up; very few studies have focused on promoting ice nucleation which would have applications in appliances, cryopreservation, and pharmaceutical freeze-drying. Such studies are also relevant to the synthesis of methane hydrates for natural gas transportation. This paper details a fundamental study on the influence of interfacial electric fields on ice nucleation promotion. Electrofreezing, i.e. applying an electric field has been shown to electrically induce nucleation of supercooled water. The freezing temperatures of supercooled water can thus be increased via electrofreezing. However, the mechanisms responsible for elevating the freezing temperature are unclear. Typically, bare electrodes are submerged in water, which creates a volumetric electric field in water. With this type of electric field, the application of a voltage can result in multiple phenomena such as current flows, chemical reactions and gas bubble formation or growth. It is unclear whether electrofreezing is the result of the electric field or the current flow-related secondary phenomena. In the present work, the role of electric fields and surface charge on electrofreezing is isolated by studying electrofreezing of water droplets on a dielectric layer. This dielectric layer blocks current and creates an interfacial electric field with a build-up of electric charge at the solid-fluid interface. Ultra-high electric fields of up to 80 V/μm were applied, which is one order of magnitude higher than in previous studies. Infrared (IR) thermography was used to capture ice nucleation and determine the electrofreezing temperature. The results show that the electric fields alone can elevate the freezing temperature of water by as much as 15 °C; however, this effect saturates at electric fields of approximately 20–40 V/μm. Also, the electrofreezing effect was found to be polarity independent. Therefore, it is hypothesized that the mechanism underlying electrofreezing is a reduction in the Gibbs free energy for ice crystal nucleation. Furthermore, by intentionally creating pinholes in the dielectric layer, which creates current paths, the influence of electric current on electrofreezing was also studied. It was observed that electric currents and/or other secondary effects, such as bubble generation, further increased the electrofreezing temperatures. Overall, this work fills many existing gaps in the current understanding of electrofreezing. It is seen that both the electric field and electric current influence electrofreezing; however, the physical mechanisms are different.

Electric currents in the ionosphere - Ionization drift due to winds and electric fields

1953 ◽  
Vol 246 (913) ◽  
pp. 306-320 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Current ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Body Force ◽  
Surrounding Medium ◽  
The Other ◽  
Electric Currents ◽  
Vertical Drift ◽  
Meteor Trails ◽  
Current Flows

An analysis is made of the drift velocity of the (neutral) ionization in a uniform ionosphere under the influences of an electric field and/or atmospheric wind. It is shown that this drift of ionization produces the Ampere body force on the medium; the electric current flows perpendicular to the drift. The motion of a cylinder of ionization, of density differing from the surrounding medium, is then studied. It is found that the motion is electrodynamically stable, but unstable hydrodynamically, if Hall conductivity is appreciable. In the latter event there is rapid accretion of (neutral) ionization on one side of the cylinder, depletion on the other. It is suggested that this is the origin of sporadic E ( E 5 )ionization, and is likely to be an important factor in the production of the long-enduring meteor trails detected by radio methods. Formulae are derived for the horizontal and vertical drift of ionization at all latitudes in a thin ionosphere in which vertical electric currents are prohibited by polarization. Graphs are given which permit derivation of the true wind or field in a given region of the ionosphere from experimental observations of the drift velocities.

scholarly journals An electrically assisted device for protein crystallization in a vapor-diffusion setup

2013 ◽  
Vol 46 (3) ◽  
pp. 832-834 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edith Flores-Hernández ◽  
Vivian Stojanoff ◽  
Roberto Arreguín-Espinosa ◽  
Abel Moreno ◽  
Nuria Sánchez-Puig
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Current ◽  
Protein Crystallization ◽  
Alpha Helix ◽  
Electrical Current ◽  
Crystal Nucleation ◽  
Internal Electric Field ◽  
X Ray Diffraction ◽  
Vapor Diffusion ◽  
Model Protein

A new easy-to-use device has been designed and implemented for electric field-induced protein crystallization in a vapor-diffusion configuration. The device not only controls crystal nucleation by means of the electrical current, but also favors crystal growth owing to its vapor-diffusion setup. Crystallization was conducted in the presence of an internal electric field and direct current. The proteins investigated were lysozyme, as model protein, and 2TEL–lysozyme (a synthetic protein consisting of two tandem alpha helix motifs connected to a lysozyme moiety). Lysozyme crystals that grew attached to the cathode were larger than those grown attached to the anode or in the absence of an electric current. On the other hand, crystals of 2TEL–lysozyme qualitatively showed a better X-ray diffraction pattern when grown in the presence of an electric current.

scholarly journals Characterization of Chaotic Electroconvection near Flat Inert Electrodes under Oscillatory Voltages

Micromachines ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeonglae Kim ◽  
Scott Davidson ◽  
Ali Mani
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Current ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Oscillation Frequency ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Convective Transport ◽  
Constant Frequency ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Oscillation Frequencies ◽  
Electroconvective Instability

The onset of electroconvective instability in an aqueous binary electrolyte under external oscillatory electric fields at a single constant frequency is investigated in a 2D parallel flat electrode setup. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations coupled with the Navier–Stokes equations at a low Reynolds number are carried out. Previous studies show that direct current (DC) electric field can create electroconvection near ion-selecting membranes in microfluidic devices. In this study, we show that electroconvection can be generated near flat inert electrodes when the applied electric field is oscillatory in time. A range of applied voltage, the oscillation frequency and the ratio of ionic diffusivities is examined to characterize the regime in which electroconvection takes place. Similar to electroconvection under DC voltages, AC electroconvection occurs at sufficiently high applied voltages in units of thermal volts and is characterized by transverse instabilities, physically manifested by an array of counter-rotating vortices near the electrode surfaces. The oscillating external electric field periodically generate and destroy such unsteady vortical structures. As the oscillation frequency is reduced to O ( 10 − 1 ) of the intrinsic resistor–capacitor (RC) frequency of electrolyte, electroconvective instability is considerably amplified. This is accompanied by severe depletion of ionic species outside the thin electric double layer and by vigorous convective transport involving a wide range of scales including those comparable to the distance L between the parallel electrodes. The underlying mechanisms are distinctly nonlinear and multi-dimensional. However, at higher frequencies of order of the RC frequency, the electrolyte response becomes linear, and the present DNS prediction closely resembles those explained by 1D asymptotic studies. Electroconvective instability supports increased electric current across the system. Increasing anion diffusivity results in stronger amplification of electroconvection over all oscillation frequencies examined in this study. Such asymmetry in ionic diffusivity, however, does not yield consistent changes in statistics and energy spectrum at all wall-normal locations and frequencies, implying more complex dynamics and different scaling for electrolytes with unequal diffusivities. Electric current is substantially amplified beyond the ohmic current at high oscillation frequencies. Also, it is found that anion diffusivity higher than cation has stronger impact on smaller-scale motions (≲ 0.1 L).

Tuning the Electric Field Response of MOFs by Rotatable Dipolar Linkers

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes P. Dürholt ◽  
Babak Farhadi Jahromi ◽  
Rochus Schmid
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Dielectric Behavior ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Dielectric Constants ◽  
Electric Response ◽  
Dipole Strength ◽  
Metal Organic ◽  
Dynamics Simulations

Recently the possibility of using electric fields as a further stimulus to trigger structural changes in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been investigated. In general, rotatable groups or other types of mechanical motion can be driven by electric fields. In this study we demonstrate how the electric response of MOFs can be tuned by adding rotatable dipolar linkers, generating a material that exhibits paralectric behavior in two dimensions and dielectric behavior in one dimension. The suitability of four different methods to compute the relative permittivity κ by means of molecular dynamics simulations was validated. The dependency of the permittivity on temperature T and dipole strength μ was determined. It was found that the herein investigated systems exhibit a high degree of tunability and substantially larger dielectric constants as expected for MOFs in general. The temperature dependency of κ obeys the Curie-Weiss law. In addition, the influence of dipolar linkers on the electric field induced breathing behavior was investigated. With increasing dipole moment, lower field strength are required to trigger the contraction. These investigations set the stage for an application of such systems as dielectric sensors, order-disorder ferroelectrics or any scenario where movable dipolar fragments respond to external electric fields.

Tuning the Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance of Al-Al2O3 Nanosphere Towards NIR Region by Gold Coating

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jyoti Katyal ◽  
Shivani Gautam
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Field Distribution ◽  
Dielectric Layer ◽  
Electric Field Distribution ◽  
Active Material ◽  
Visible Region ◽  
Field Enhancement ◽  
Localized Surface Plasmon ◽  
Sers Substrate ◽  
Al Nanoparticles

Background: A relatively narrow LSPR peak and a strong inter band transition ranging around 800 nm makes Al strongly plasmonic active material. Usually, Al nanoparticles are preferred for UV-plasmonic as the SPR of small size Al nanoparticles locates in deep UV-UV region of the optical spectrum. This paper focused on tuning the LSPR of Al nanostructure towards infrared region by coating Au layer. The proposed structure has Au as outer layer which prevent the further oxidation of Al nanostructure. Methods: The Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) and Plasmon Hybridization Theory has been used to evaluated the LSPR and field enhancement of single and dimer Al-Al2O3-Au MDM nanostructure. Results: It is observed that the resonance mode show dependence on the thickness of Al2O3 layer and also on the composition of nanostructure. The Au layered MDM nanostructure shows two peak of equal intensities simultaneously in UV and visible region tuned to NIR region. The extinction spectra and electric field distribution profiles of dimer nanoparticles are compared with monomer to reveal the extent of coupling. The dimer configuration shows higher field enhancement ~107 at 1049 nm. By optimizing the thickness of dielectric layer the MDM nanostructure can be used over UV-visible-NIR region. Conclusion: The LSPR peak shows dependence on the thickness of dielectric layer and also on the composition of nanostructure. It has been observed that optimization of size and thickness of dielectric layer can provide two peaks of equal intensities in UV and Visible region which is advantageous for many applications. The electric field distribution profiles of dimer MDM nanostructure enhanced the field by ~107 in visible and NIR region shows its potential towards SERS substrate. The results of this study will provide valuable information for the optimization of LSPR of Al-Al2O3-Au MDM nanostructure to have high field enhancement.

scholarly journals Meta-Deflectors Made of Dielectric Nanohole Arrays with Anti-Damage Potential

Photonics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 107
Author(s):  
Haichao Yu ◽  
Feng Tang ◽  
Jingjun Wu ◽  
Zao Yi ◽  
Xin Ye ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Laser Cutting ◽  
High Complexity ◽  
Damage Potential ◽  
Optical Components ◽  
Nanohole Arrays ◽  
Intense Light ◽  
Polarization Of Light ◽  
Air Hole

In intense-light systems, the traditional discrete optical components lead to high complexity and high cost. Metasurfaces, which have received increasing attention due to the ability to locally manipulate the amplitude, phase, and polarization of light, are promising for addressing this issue. In the study, a metasurface-based reflective deflector is investigated which is composed of silicon nanohole arrays that confine the strongest electric field in the air zone. Subsequently, the in-air electric field does not interact with the silicon material directly, attenuating the optothermal effect that causes laser damage. The highest reflectance of nanoholes can be above 99% while the strongest electric fields are tuned into the air zone. One presentative deflector is designed based on these nanoholes with in-air-hole field confinement and anti-damage potential. The 1st order of the meta-deflector has the highest reflectance of 55.74%, and the reflectance sum of all the orders of the meta-deflector is 92.38%. The optothermal simulations show that the meta-deflector can theoretically handle a maximum laser density of 0.24 W/µm2. The study provides an approach to improving the anti-damage property of the reflective phase-control metasurfaces for intense-light systems, which can be exploited in many applications, such as laser scalpels, laser cutting devices, etc.

scholarly journals Integrating flexible electronics for pulsed electric field delivery in a vascularized 3D glioblastoma model

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie C. Lefevre ◽  
Gerwin Dijk ◽  
Attila Kaszas ◽  
Martin Baca ◽  
David Moreau ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Flexible Electronics ◽  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Multiphoton Microscopy ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Tumor Model ◽  
Pulsed Electric Fields ◽  
In Ovo ◽  
Cell Membrane Integrity

AbstractGlioblastoma is a highly aggressive brain tumor, very invasive and thus difficult to eradicate with standard oncology therapies. Bioelectric treatments based on pulsed electric fields have proven to be a successful method to treat cancerous tissues. However, they rely on stiff electrodes, which cause acute and chronic injuries, especially in soft tissues like the brain. Here we demonstrate the feasibility of delivering pulsed electric fields with flexible electronics using an in ovo vascularized tumor model. We show with fluorescence widefield and multiphoton microscopy that pulsed electric fields induce vasoconstriction of blood vessels and evoke calcium signals in vascularized glioblastoma spheroids stably expressing a genetically encoded fluorescence reporter. Simulations of the electric field delivery are compared with the measured influence of electric field effects on cell membrane integrity in exposed tumor cells. Our results confirm the feasibility of flexible electronics as a means of delivering intense pulsed electric fields to tumors in an intravital 3D vascularized model of human glioblastoma.

scholarly journals Electro-Optic Control of Lithium Niobate Bulk Whispering Gallery Resonators: Analysis of the Distribution of Externally Applied Electric Fields

Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 298
Author(s):  
Yannick Minet ◽  
Hans Zappe ◽  
Ingo Breunig ◽  
Karsten Buse
Keyword(s):  
Lithium Niobate ◽  
Electric Field ◽  
Electric Fields ◽  
Frequency Comb ◽  
Parametric Oscillation ◽  
Pockels Effect ◽  
Optical Mode ◽  
Cylindrical Resonator ◽  
Whispering Gallery ◽  
Electro Optic

Whispering gallery resonators made out of lithium niobate allow for optical parametric oscillation and frequency comb generation employing the outstanding second-order nonlinear-optical properties of this material. An important knob to tune and control these processes is, e.g., the linear electro-optic effect, the Pockels effect via externally applied electric fields. Due to the shape of the resonators a precise prediction of the electric field strength that affects the optical mode is non-trivial. Here, we study the average strength of the electric field in z-direction in the region of the optical mode for different configurations and geometries of lithium niobate whispering gallery resonators with the help of the finite element method. We find that in some configurations almost 100% is present in the cavity compared to the ideal case of a cylindrical resonator. Even in the case of a few-mode resonator with a very thin rim we find a strength of 90%. Our results give useful design considerations for future arrangements that may benefit from the strong electro-optic effect in bulk whispering gallery resonators made out of lithium niobate.

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