title: Liquid metal nanodroplet dynamics inside nanocontainers.
abstract: Here we report direct observations of spatial movements of nanodroplets of Pb metal trapped inside sealed carbon nanocontainers. We find drastic changes in the mobility of the liquid droplets as the particle size increases from a few to a few ten nanometers. In open containers the droplet becomes immobile and readily evaporates to the vacuum environment. The particle mobility strongly depends on confinement, particle size, and wetting on the enclosed surface. The collisions between droplets increase mobility but the tendency is reversed if collisions lead to droplet coalescence. The dynamics of confined nanodroplets could provide new insights into the activity of nanostructures in spatially constrained geometries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Hyun Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Hyunkyung
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chun
authors.forename: Sora
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Seoung-Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Chi Won
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Young-Kyun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Moneesh
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Upmanyu
authors.forename: Pulickel M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Ajayan
authors.forename: Yung Joon
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jung
mesh_terms: D007854:Lead / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D053769:Nanocapsules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry; D017155:Wettability
chemical_list: D053769:Nanocapsules; D012996:Solutions; D007854:Lead