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Updated: Jan 15, 2026
08:01
A Microfluidic Approach for the Study of Ice and Clathrate Hydrate Crystallization
Published on: August 18, 2022
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Ice crystallization kinetics in supercooled droplets from a molecular perspective.
Khadije El Kadi1, Sohail Murad2, Isam Janajreh1
1Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates; Center for Membrane and Advanced Water Technology, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Journal of Colloid and Interface Science
|October 16, 2025
Summary
Investigating freely suspended droplets reveals size, salinity, and cooling rate critically influence ice nucleation. Salinity and rapid cooling suppress ice formation, while slower cooling enhances it, impacting freeze desalination and cryopreservation.
Area of Science:
- Physical Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Thermodynamics
Background:
- Ice nucleation in supercooled water is crucial for freeze desalination, cryopreservation, and atmospheric science.
- Previous research focused on bulk or substrate-bound systems, limiting understanding of intrinsic freezing behavior.
- This study examines freely suspended droplets at nano- and micro-scales to isolate fundamental ice formation processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of droplet size, salinity, and cooling rate on ice nucleation thermodynamics and kinetics.
- To differentiate freezing behavior between nano- and micro-scale freely suspended droplets.
- To elucidate the mechanisms governing ice formation in supercooled water relevant to various applications.
Main Methods:
- Experimental investigation of freely suspended microliter droplets (0.5-3.5 μL) across a salinity range of 0-70 g/L.
- Detailed molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of nanoscale droplets (5.04-9.54 nm) under varying conditions.
- Systematic variation of droplet size, salinity, and cooling rates (0.1-10,000 K/ns) in simulations.
Main Results:
- Experiments showed a two-stage freezing process (dendritic growth with recalescence, then volumetric growth).
- MD simulations revealed single-stage freezing in nanodroplets, with slower cooling increasing nucleation rates by 50% and rapid cooling inducing vitrification.
- Salinity reduced nucleation rates (39-56%) and recalescence (up to 44%), while ion clustering at interfaces altered water structure and promoted heterogeneity.
Conclusions:
- Droplet size, salinity, and cooling rate are critical factors modulating ice nucleation pathways in supercooled water.
- Interfacial ion distributions, ion clustering, and size-dependent confinement significantly impact ice formation mechanisms.
- Findings advance the mechanistic understanding of ice formation in systems relevant to desalination, cryopreservation, and atmospheric science.
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