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Related Concept Videos

Surface Tension of Fluid01:22

Surface Tension of Fluid

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Surface tension is a fundamental property of fluids, occurring at the boundary between a liquid and a gas or between two immiscible liquids. This phenomenon arises from the cohesive forces between molecules at the fluid's surface, creating an effect similar to a stretched elastic membrane. Inside each fluid, molecules are equally attracted in all directions by neighboring molecules, but surface molecules experience a net inward force, resulting in surface tension.
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Surface Tension, Capillary Action, and Viscosity02:57

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Surface Tension
The various IMFs between identical molecules of a substance are examples of cohesive forces. The molecules within a liquid are surrounded by other molecules and are attracted equally in all directions by the cohesive forces within the liquid. However, the molecules on the surface of a liquid are attracted only by about one-half as many molecules. Because of the unbalanced molecular attractions on the surface molecules, liquids contract to form a shape that minimizes the number...
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Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube01:18

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When very thin cylindrical tubes, called capillaries, are dipped in a liquid, the liquid rises or falls in the tube compared to the surrounding liquid. This phenomenon is called capillary action. Capillary action occurs due to the combination of two opposing forces: the cohesive forces of the liquid, which cause it to stick to itself and form a rounded shape, and the adhesive forces between the liquid and the walls of the container, which cause the liquid to be attracted to the container walls.
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Cohesion01:07

Cohesion

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Cohesion is the attraction between molecules of the same type, such as water molecules. Water molecules have an overall neutral charge but are polar molecule. An oxygen atom in one water molecule has a partial negative charge that can bind to a hydrogen atom with a partial positive charge in a second water molecule, forming a hydrogen bond. Each water molecule can form up to four hydrogen bonds with other water molecules. Hydrogen bonds are responsible for water's cohesive nature.
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Colloidal precipitates01:09

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The high insolubility of some precipitates can result in an unfavorable relative supersaturation. This can lead to colloidal particles with a large surface-to-mass ratio, where adsorption is promoted. For instance, in the precipitation of silver chloride, silver ions are adsorbed on the surface of the colloidal particles, forming a primary layer. This layer attracts ions of opposite charge (such as nitrate ions), forming a diffuse secondary layer of adsorbed ions. This electric double layer...
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Surface Tension and Surface Energy01:16

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When a paint brush is immersed in water, the bristles wave freely inside the water. When it is taken out, the bristles stick together. The reason behind this effect is surface tension.
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Glass-Based Devices to Generate Drops and Emulsions
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Hanging droplets from liquid surfaces.

Ganhua Xie1,2, Joe Forth1,3, Shipei Zhu4

  • 1Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|March 30, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Researchers demonstrate hanging coacervate-encased droplets from liquid surfaces using surface tension. These controlled droplets form arrays and can achieve locomotion, enabling applications in microreactors and biomimetic robots.

Keywords:
aqueous two-phase systembiomimeticcompartmentalizationdroplet transporthanging droplets

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Area of Science:

  • Soft matter physics
  • Materials science
  • Robotics

Background:

  • Robotic systems leverage interfacial tension for object support.
  • Coacervate droplets offer unique properties for interfacial manipulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To demonstrate the controlled suspension of coacervate-encased droplets from liquid surfaces.
  • To explore the manipulation and applications of these interfacial assemblies.

Main Methods:

  • Utilizing surface tension to suspend coacervate-encased aqueous polymer droplets.
  • Controlling droplet forces and shapes.
  • Forming arrays via capillary forces.
  • Embedding magnetic microparticles for locomotion and rotation.

Main Results:

  • Coacervate droplets were successfully hung from a less dense aqueous polymer solution surface.
  • Droplet forces, shapes, and array formation were controllable.
  • Magnetic microparticles enabled droplet locomotion and rotation.
  • In situ manipulation and compartmentalized reactions were achieved.

Conclusions:

  • Coacervate-encased droplets represent a novel platform for interfacial manipulation.
  • The ability to control and actuate these droplets opens avenues for microfluidic devices.
  • Potential applications include functional microreactors, motors, and biomimetic robots.