Capillary filling of anodized alumina nanopore arrays.
The filling behavior of a room temperature solvent, perfluoromethylcyclohexane, in approximately 20 nm nanoporous alumina membranes was investigated in situ with small angle x-ray scattering. Adsorption in the pores was controlled reversibly by varying the chemical potential between the sample and a liquid reservoir via a thermal offset, DeltaT. The system exhibited a pronounced hysteretic capillary filling transition as liquid was condensed into the nanopores. These results are compared with Kelvin-Cohan theory, with a modified Derjaguin approximation, as well as with predictions by Cole and Saam.
Alvine
Kyle J
KJ
Division of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA. kalvine@post.harvard.edu
Shpyrko
Oleg G
OG
Pershan
Peter S
PS
Shin
Kyusoon
K
Russell
Thomas P
TP
D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004566:Electrodes; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D008956:Models, Chemical; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D014965:X-Rays
D005466:Fluorocarbons; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D000537:Aluminum Oxide; C003073:perfluoromethylcyclohexane