Issue 31, 2016

Capillarity-driven flows at the continuum limit

Abstract

We experimentally investigate the dynamics of capillary-driven flows at the nanoscale, using an original platform that combines nanoscale pores (⋍3 nm in diameter) and microfluidic features. In particular, we show that drying involves a fine coupling between thermodynamics and fluid mechanics that can be used to generate precisely controlled nanoflows driven by extreme stresses – up to 100 MPa of tension. We exploit these tunable flows to provide quantitative tests of continuum theories (e.g. Kelvin–Laplace equation and Poiseuille flow) across an unprecedented range and we isolate the breakdown of continuum as a negative slip length of molecular dimension. Our results show a coherent picture across multiple experiments including drying-induced permeation flows, imbibition and poroelastic transients.

Graphical abstract: Capillarity-driven flows at the continuum limit

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
25 Mar 2016
Accepted
18 Jul 2016
First published
19 Jul 2016

Soft Matter, 2016,12, 6656-6661

Capillarity-driven flows at the continuum limit

O. Vincent, A. Szenicer and A. D. Stroock, Soft Matter, 2016, 12, 6656 DOI: 10.1039/C6SM00733C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements