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Updated: May 20, 2026
10:01
Flash-and-Freeze: A Novel Technique to Capture Membrane Dynamics with Electron Microscopy
Published on: May 1, 2017
Freezing of a liquid marble.
Ali Hashmi1, Adam Strauss, Jie Xu
1Mechanical Engineering Department, Washington State University, Vancouver, Washington 98686, United States.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|July 4, 2012
Summary
Researchers observed freezing liquid marbles for the first time, noting a unique shape transition. This freezing behavior differs significantly from water droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces.
Area of Science:
- Physics
- Materials Science
- Surface Science
Background:
- Liquid marbles are free-standing liquid droplets contained by a non-sticking powder layer.
- Understanding the phase transitions of liquid marbles is crucial for their applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To observe and characterize the freezing process of liquid marbles.
- To investigate the morphological changes during liquid marble freezing.
- To compare the freezing dynamics of liquid marbles with water droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces.
Main Methods:
- Liquid marbles were created and placed on a thermo-electric cooler (TEC).
- Morphological changes during freezing were recorded using imaging techniques.
- The freezing dynamics and resulting morphology were analyzed.
Main Results:
- Liquid marbles exhibited a shape transition from spherical to a flying-saucer-like form upon freezing.
- The freezing process and final morphology differed markedly from freezing water droplets on superhydrophobic surfaces.
- A characteristic pointy tip observed in frozen water drops was absent in frozen liquid marbles.
Conclusions:
- The freezing of liquid marbles presents unique morphological characteristics.
- The observed shape transition is attributed to specific freezing dynamics within the liquid marble system.
- Further investigation is needed to fully elucidate the underlying mechanisms driving these observations.
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