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Production of valuable industrial materials from lignins as byproducts of different origin is of importance to solve the utilization problem for large amounts of these byproducts. One of the corresponding pathways is the production of water-soluble lignins, for which, interactions with water and aqueous solutions play an important role in practical application efficiency of these materials. One could assume that interactions of lignins with bound water and solutions depend strongly on the dispersion media and the presence of various (e.g., polar and ion-generating) solutes in water. The interfacial and temperature behaviors of water (solutions) bound to lignin particles in wetted powders could be effectively studied using low-temperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy applied to static samples that allows one to separate mobile and immobile phases vs. temperature below freezing point (Tf,b) of bulk liquid. At T < Tf,b several effects could be observed in wetted lignin powders such as confined space effects (CSE) in pores or voids between or inside crosslinked macromolecules, cryoscopic effects (CE) in bound solutions, partial freezing of liquids with cryoconcentration and differentiation of solutions, clusterization of bound liquids, etc. To elucidate some of these effects, wetted water-soluble lignin powders at a constant degree of hydration (h = 0.3 g/g) were studied in such dispersion media as air and chloroform-d alone or in a mixture with deuterated trifluoroacetic acid using the lowtemperature ¹H NMR spectroscopy method. Additionally, hydrated lignin molecules of different sizes were studied using quantum chemistry methods. Obtained results show that both CSE and CE affect the temperature behavior of bound water and related solutions. However, there is no their strong synergetic impact because the stronger bound the water (solution) the lower the activity of water as a solvent; i.e., CSE could partially inhibit CE. The obtained results are of interest in order to better understand different aspects of applications of water-soluble lignins under various conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dynamics of a droplet on a liquid substrate in the case of an inhomogeneous heating from below has been investigated. The problem is studied numerically in the framework of the slender droplet approximation and the precursor model. The change of the stationary droplet’s shape and the rupture of the substrate layer induced by a floating droplet are investigated. The influence of the gravity force on the shape of the droplet is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The temperature and interfacial behaviors of individual and mixed liquids are of importance from a practical point of view because changes in the phase state of compounds with decreasing temperature could lead to negative effects (e.g., frost damage of porous materials). However, the use of certain mixtures may prevent these negative effects due to the colligative properties of the solutions (cryscopic effects, CE) that lead to several effects including relative lowering of vapor pressure, boiling point elevation, and freezing point depression (FPD). Confined space effects (CSE) also leading to the freezing point depression can affect the colligative properties of liquid mixtures with respect to FPD. One could assume that for some systems with certain FPD due to CE for bulk solutions, there is no additivity (synergetic effect) of CSE and CE, but for others, the opposite results could be. To elucidate these interfacial phenomena, a set of liquid mixtures bound to different adsorbents could be studied using low-temperature NMR spectroscopy. The solutions included acids, bases, and salts as solutes, some liquids (e.g., dimethylsulfoxide, acetonitrile, n-decane) as co-sorbates and others (e.g., CDCl3, CCl4) as dispersion media. The adsorbents included various porous and highly disperse silicas, fumed alumina, carbons (activated carbons, graphene oxides), and porous polymers. So wide ranges of the systems studied could allow one a deeper insight into competitive or additive CSE and CE influencing the interfacial and temperature behaviors of bound liquids. The results of this analysis are of interest from both practical and theoretical points of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the dynamics and instabilities of a droplet that floats on a liquid substrate. The substrate is cooled from below. In the framework of the slender droplet approximation and the precursor model, the problem is studied numerically. Oscillatory and stationary regimes of thermocapillary convection have been observed. The influence of a two-dimensional spatial inhomogeneity of temperature on the droplet dynamics is investigated. The two-dimensional spatial temperature inhomogeneity can suppress oscillations, changing the droplet's shape. In a definite region of parameters, the two-dimensional spatial modulation can lead to the excitation of periodic oscillations. The influence of the Biot number on the shape of the droplets is studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical simulation of the tunneling rupture behavior of bubbles in microchannels using OpenFOAM. The fluid properties were characterized by the Giesekus model, and the interface was tracked by the volume of fluid (VOF) method. The effects of relaxation time λ and flow velocity u on the bubble tunneling rupture behavior were examined. The results indicated that the axial length of the bubble first increases and then remains constant as the relaxation time increases. The presence of elastic force accelerates the neck refinement in the pinch-off stage. In viscoelastic fluids, the head of the bubble is closer to the inner wall than in Newtonian fluids, influenced by the first normal stress difference. Furthermore, the tail of the bubble changes from convex to concave, and the time for the bubble to reach the rupture stage accelerates with increasing flow velocity, shortening the bubble rupture cycle. The effect of the bubble rupture period was also scrutinized at various Weissenberg numbers. The results showed that the bubble rupture period increases with the Weissenberg number, indicating that the presence of elasticity slows down the bubble rupture process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introducing superconductivity into two-dimensional (2D) films with nontrivial topology has been intensively pursued as one of the feasible scenarios to realize 1D topological superconductor. Prevailing endeavors mostly exploit the external gating or proximity effect of a traditional superconductor, by which the critical temperatures ( T c $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ ) are limited to several Kelvin range. Here, we report on the discovery of interface-enhanced superconductivity in monolayer 1T′-MoTe2 film. A thermally driven phase transition from Mo6Te6 nanowires to 1T′-MoTe2 films, grown on SrTiO3(001) surface by the molecular beam epitaxial methods, is demonstrated. A combined study of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, electrical transport and magnetization measurements indicates the T c $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ of MoTe2 film is around 30 K, two orders of magnitude larger than its 3D counterpart crystal. This study shows that interfacial engineering is an efficient way to tune monolayer 1T′-MoTe2 film into superconducting states, and thus may pave the way toward higher- T c $T_{\mathrm{c}}$ 1D intrinsic topological superconductivity.

Features of interfacial adsorbate/adsorbent phenomena depend on several factors: particulate morphology, texture, and structure of adsorbents, molecular weight, shape, and polarity of adsorbates; as well as prehistory of adsorbents pretreated under different conditions. All these factors could affect the efficiency of practical applications of not only adsorbents but also polymer fillers, carriers, catalysts, etc. Interactions of nonpolar nitrogen, hexane, benzene, weakly polar acetonitrile, and polar diethylamine, triethylamine, and water with individual (silica, alumina), binary (silica/alumina (SA)) and ternary (alumina/silica/titania, AST) nanooxides were studied using experimental and theoretical methods to elucidate the influence of the morphological and textural characteristics and surface composition of the materials on the adsorption phenomena. The specific surface area SX / N2 S ratio (X is an adsorbate) changes from 0.7 for hexane adsorbed onto amorphous silica/alumina SA8 with 8 wt. % Al2O3 (degassed at 200 °C) to 1.9 for acetonitrile adsorbed onto pure fumed alumina (treated at 900 °C). These changes are relatively large because of variations in orientation, lateral interactions, and adsorption compressing of organic molecules interacting with surfaces characterized by certain set and amounts of various active sites, as well as due to changes in the accessibility of pore surface for probe molecules of different sizes. Larger SX / N2 S > 1 values are observed for complex fumed oxides with larger primary nanoparticles, greater surface roughness, hydrophilicity, and Brønsted and Lewis acidity of a surface. Both polar and nonpolar adsorbates can change the morphology and texture of aggregates of oxide nanoparticles, e.g., swelling of structures, compacted during various pretreatments, upon the adsorption of liquids. The studied effects should be considered upon practical applications of adsorbents, especially “soft” fumed oxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a mathematical model of drop size distribution during dropwise condensation on a superhydrophobic surface. The model is developed by combining a power law growth model, an exponentially decaying population model, and a Gaussian probability model for growth variations. The model is validated against experiment data, with correlations ranging from 88% to 94%. The growth model is shown to sufficiently describe the growth of drops from 0.02 mm to 0.1 mm but may be extrapolated to describe the growth of even smaller drops. The experiment data show that drop size distribution or frequency distribution of drops of different sizes varies significantly with time and may be considered pseudo-cyclic. The developed model, together with the sweep rate of drops, sufficiently describes this behavior and, consequently, may also be used to better estimate the heat transfer rate due to dropwise condensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introducing superconductivity into two-dimensional (2D) films with nontrivial topology has been intensively pursued as one of the feasible scenarios to realize 1D topological superconductor. Prevailing endeavors mostly exploit the external gating or proximity effect of a traditional superconductor, by which the critical temperatures ( T c ) are limited to several Kelvin range. Here, we report on the discovery of interface-enhanced superconductivity in monolayer 1T′-MoTe2 film. A thermally driven phase transition from Mo6Te6 nanowires to 1T′-MoTe2 films, grown on SrTiO3(001) surface by the molecular beam epitaxial methods, is demonstrated. A combined study of scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy, electrical transport and magnetization measurements indicates the T c of MoTe2 film is around 30 K, two orders of magnitude larger than its 3D counterpart crystal. This study shows that interfacial engineering is an efficient way to tune monolayer 1T′-MoTe2 film into superconducting states, and thus may pave the way toward higher- T c 1D intrinsic topological superconductivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colloidal particles pinned to fluid interfaces have applications ranging from Pickering emulsions and foams to the development of 2D materials via Langmuir-Blodgett deposition. While colloids come in virtually any size, shape, and chemistry, particle surface topography, or roughness, has recently found renewed interest as a design parameter for controlling interfacial pinning, capillary interactions, assembly, and mechanics of particulate monolayers. In this review, we highlight the fundamental science regarding rough colloidal particles at fluid interfaces and how manipulating roughness can be a tool for material design, rather than merely a characteristic needing to be dealt with. While existing work reveals the importance of roughness, the field is still rather nascent and therefore this review highlights both challenges and opportunities for future research.

This paper presents an experimental investigation regarding the drag and instabilities involved in free-falling cylinders across different boiling regimes. We aim to identify the mechanisms that cause the instabilities as well as to quantify the strength of these forces for temperatures between 25 oC and 550 oC. Understanding the forces involved across boiling regimes is essential when designing sensitive instruments, such as microelectronic devices. Cylinders with sizes in the range of tens of millimetres are released into a vertical column filled with Novec 7000. The surface of the cylinders were engraved with various patterns and experiments were conducted to investigate 10 topological designs, and bored-out hollows within the cylinders forced vertical free-fall. The control cylinders were smooth, while the others had ratchet teeth engraved on their surface. Ratcheted cylinders were manufactured in pairs to compare ratchet directionality to identify the action of self-propulsion due to viscous friction. We find that in two-phase (solid-liquid) free-fall, the liquid flow path over the solid surface dominates the cylinder behaviour. We categorise three-phase free-fall by the nucleate and film boiling regimes. For cylinders that free-fall under the nucleate boiling regime, random nucleate boiling action cause cylinders' instabilities, while cylinders free-falling under the film boiling regime are stable due to a clear separation between the solid and liquid interfaces. We thus introduce viscous friction as an important parameter within three-phase systems. [Display omitted] • The stability of a cylinder is dependent on both temperature and surface topography. • Smooth cylinders are 98% stable across all boiling regimes. • Ratcheted cylinders are 42% stable under no boiling while film boiling increases stability by 39%. • Nucleate boiling reduces stability by 5% for ratcheted cylinders. • Ratcheted cylinders remain 57%, 88%, and 96% stable for initial temperatures of 350 oC, 450 oC, 550 oC respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Icing in the form of condensation frosting occurs ubiquitously in our daily life and numerous industrial applications. As the frost layer mostly comprises mixed microscopic dendrites and discrete air pockets, condensation frosting manifests a thick porous media and thus catastrophically compromises the heat transfer efficiency of HVAC systems. Despite being a popular research topic for centuries, a few unprecedented advances in the study of condensation frosting have been only achieved very recently, such as the revealing of new features in the incipient stages of frost formation, which used to be too fast or too small to capture, and new anti-/de-frosting techniques have been developed based on the revealed physics. This work provides a comprehensive, up-to-date review of condensation frosting, with an emphasis placed on progress in the very latest decade. Fundamentals of condensation frosting, including condensation nucleation, coalescence and growth of the condensed drops, icing nucleation, formation of frost halos, freezing propagation via ice bridging, and lastly densification and fully developed frost layers, are introduced chronologically as what occurs. A summary of recent engineering efforts to alleviate the negative impacts of condensation frosting, referred to as anti-/de-frosting techniques, is also presented. The results of these studies can greatly enlighten the existing understanding of condensation frosting and, meanwhile, benefit the development of new anti-/de- frosting methods for numerous application backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the dynamics and instabilities of a droplet that floats on a liquid substrate. The substrate is cooled from below. In the framework of the slender droplet approximation and the precursor model, the problem is studied numerically. Oscillatory and stationary regimes of thermocapillary convection have been observed. The influence of a two-dimensional spatial inhomogeneity of temperature on the droplet dynamics is investigated. The two-dimensional spatial temperature inhomogeneity can suppress oscillations, changing the droplet’s shape. In a definite region of parameters, the two-dimensional spatial modulation can lead to the excitation of periodic oscillations. The influence of the Biot number on the shape of the droplets is studied.

Guanidine-based surfactant ethyl lauroyl arginate (LAE) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) form complexes of enhanced surface activity when compared to pure surfactants. The LAE-CNC mixtures show enhanced foaming properties. The dynamic thin-film balance technique (DTFB) was used to study the morphology, drainage and rupture of LAE-CNC thin liquid films under constant driving pressure. A total of three concentrations of surfactant and the corresponding mixtures of LAE with sulfated (sCNC) and carboxylated (cCNC) cellulose nanocrystals were studied. The sCNC and cCNC suspension with LAE formed thin films, with stability increasing with surfactant concentration and with complex rheological properties. In the presence of LAE, the aggregation of CNC was observed. While the sCNC aggregates were preferentially present in the film volume with a small fraction at the surface, the cCNC aggregates, due to their higher hydrophobicity, were preferentially located at film interfaces, forming compact layers. The presence of both types of aggregates decreased the stability of the thin liquid film compared to the one for the LAE solution with the same concentration. The addition of CNC to LAE was critical for foam formation, and foam stability was in qualitative agreement with the thin films' lifetimes. The foam volume increased with the LAE concentration. However, there was an optimum surfactant concentration to achieve stable foam. In particular, the very resistant foam was obtained with cCNC suspensions that formed the interfaces with a complex structure and rheology. On the other hand, at high LAE concentrations, the aggregates of CNC may exhibit antifoaming properties [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interaction of co-current gas flow with near-wall liquid film inside a nozzle (cylindrical channel) under ejection into vacuum is studied experimentally. Local parameters of near-wall films of ethanol, water and their mixtures under interaction with co-current air flow are measured with the help of capacity-type probes. It is shown that under conditions of experiments carried out a co-current flow exert strong dynamic impact on a near-wall liquid film, leading to intensive wave formation, detachment of droplet and their dispersion by co-current flow. It is found that the amount of liquid entrained from interphase boundary can reach over 50% from the initial flow rate of liquid. Flow structure of gas-droplet jet arising under ejection into vacuum is visualized with the help of laser illumination. Appearance of droplets backflows (at angles over 90° with respect to nozzle axis) is shown. Temperature of the film formed on the nozzle external surface is measured. It is shown that the film of liquid is cooled down to the temperature at which its saturated vapor pressure becomes equal to pressure in vacuum chamber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigates the transient multilayer electro-osmotic flow of viscoelastic fluids through an annular microchannel. The dimensionless mathematical model of multilayer flow is integrated by the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation, the Cauchy momentum equation, the rheological Maxwell model, initial conditions, and the electrostatic and hydrodynamic boundary conditions at liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces. Although the main force that drives the movement of fluids is due to electrokinetic effects, a pressure gradient can also be added to the flow. The semi-analytical solution for the electric potential distribution and velocity profiles considers analytical techniques as the Laplace transform method, with numerical procedures using the inverse matrix method for linear algebraic equations and the concentrated matrix exponential method for the inversion of the Laplace transform. The results presented for velocity profiles and velocity tracking at the transient regime reveal an interesting oscillatory behavior that depends on elastic fluid properties via relaxation times. The time required for the flow to reach steady-state is highly dependent on the viscosity ratios and the dimensionless relaxation times. In addition, the influence of other dimensionless parameters on the flow as the electrokinetic parameters, zeta potentials at the walls, permittivity ratios, ratio of pressure forces to electro-osmotic forces, number of fluid layers, and annular thickness are investigated. The findings of this study have significant implications for the precise control of parallel fluid transport in microfluidic devices for flow-focusing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffuse soft matter interfaces take many forms, from end-tethered polymer brushes or adsorbed surfactants to self-assembled layers of lipids. These interfaces play crucial roles across a multitude of fields, including materials science, biophysics, and nanotechnology. Understanding the nanostructure and properties of these interfaces is fundamental for optimising their performance and designing novel functional materials. In recent years, reflectometry techniques, in particular neutron reflectometry, have emerged as powerful tools for elucidating the intricate nanostructure of soft matter interfaces with remarkable precision and depth. This review provides an overview of selected recent developments in reflectometry and their applications for illuminating the nanostructure of diffuse interfaces. We explore various principles and methods of neutron and X-ray reflectometry, as well as ellipsometry, and discuss advances in their experimental setups and data analysis approaches. Improvements to experimental neutron reflectometry methods have enabled greater time resolution in kinetic measurements and elucidation of diffuse structure under shear or confinement, while innovation in analysis protocols has significantly reduced data processing times, facilitated co-refinement of reflectometry data from multiple instruments and provided greater-than-ever confidence in proposed structural models. Furthermore, we highlight some significant research findings enabled by these techniques, revealing the organisation, dynamics, and interfacial phenomena at the nanoscale. We also discuss future directions and potential advancements in reflectometry techniques. By shedding light on the nanostructure of diffuse interfaces, reflectometry techniques enable the rational design and tailoring of interfaces with enhanced properties and functionalities. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study introduces a solid-state aluminizing technique through a vibratory milling process, employing a distinct combination of milling balls to fabricate Al composite coatings with high adhesion on steel substrates. The process is carried out at ambient temperature, without the need for special atmospheric conditions. The process utilizes the synergistic effects of plastic flow, atomic mixing, and interatomic interactions to produce coatings with outstanding mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance, challenging to achieve through conventional methods. The as-fabricated composite coating consists of W, Ni, and steel particles, constituting 7–10 % of the composition, dispersed within an Al matrix with an average grain size of approximately 50 nm. The Al coatings demonstrated a hardness threefold greater than untreated steel and fivefold higher than the initial Al balls used for deposition, alongside an exceptional 20 % elastic recovery. Moreover, the aluminized steel exhibited a corrosion rate more than five times lower than untreated steel, underscoring the coatings' dual enhancement of mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. [Display omitted] • Introduced a solid-state aluminizing process. • Utilized ambient conditions, no special atmospheres. • Achieved high adhesion via atomic mixing. • Al coatings three times harder than untreated steel • Demonstrated significant corrosion resistance improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In diffuse interface models, such as the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), interfacial physics plays an important role. An example of an important interfacial phenomenon is adsorption onto a fluid–fluid interface. In the context of LBM, adsorption studies have traditionally only focused on adsorption onto a solid surface. The studies on adsorption onto fluid–fluid interfaces have been qualitative in nature, suffer from restrictions on the number of components, or are based on simple thermodynamic models designed for fully immiscible phases. Our recently published fugacity-based LBM model introduces a platform for the accurate modeling of multiphase fluids unrestricted by the number of components, and governed through accurate equations of state (Soomro and Ayala, 2023). In this study, we utilize the fugacity-based LBM to capture interfacial adsorption. This paper begins by simulating adsorption in a binary system with a flat interface, and shows that the amount of adsorption, quantified by relative adsorption measures, is in exact agreement with Gibbs theory. Next, the analysis is continued for a ternary system with two species adsorbing onto the interface. The binary and ternary simulations are then repeated for the case of a droplet and finally a five component case is presented. The study shows that the fugacity-based LBM can capture adsorption in full agreement with Gibbs adsorption theory. This provides a path for a generalized LBM model for adsorption, based on robust thermodynamic models for the fluids and unrestricted by the number of components, marking a significant contribution to the LBM literature. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a mathematical model of drop size distribution during dropwise condensation on a superhydrophobic surface. The model is developed by combining a power law growth model, an exponentially decaying population model, and a Gaussian probability model for growth variations. The model is validated against experiment data, with correlations ranging from 88% to 94%. The growth model is shown to sufficiently describe the growth of drops from 0.02 mm to 0.1 mm but may be extrapolated to describe the growth of even smaller drops. The experiment data show that drop size distribution or frequency distribution of drops of different sizes varies significantly with time and may be considered pseudo-cyclic. The developed model, together with the sweep rate of drops, sufficiently describes this behavior and, consequently, may also be used to better estimate the heat transfer rate due to dropwise condensation.

The dynamics and instabilities of a droplet floating on the cooled liquid substrate are investigated. The problem is studied numerically in the framework of the slender droplet approximation. Stationary and oscillatory regimes of Marangoni convection are observed. The influence of spatial inhomogeneity and temporal modulation of temperature is investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence of the presence of intercalated water between graphene and the substrate in electronic devices. However, a proper understanding of the impact of this phenomenon, which causes important limitations for the optimization of graphene-based devices operating in aqueous electrolytes, is missing. We used graphene-based electrodes on insulating and conducting substrates to evaluate the impact of intercalated water by combining experimental techniques with numerical simulations. Results show that the capacitance of the conductive substrate/graphene electrodes is significantly higher than that of the insulating substrate/graphene ones. Meanwhile, Raman spectroscopy demonstrates that graphene charge modulation with the applied potential is independent of the substrate conductivity. We found that this intriguing behavior is influenced by the water intercalation phenomena and governed by the substrate conductive nature. This work contributes to the understanding of the electric response of graphene-based devices in an aqueous environment and of the methods to measure and model it.

All-aqueous phase separation systems play essential roles in bioanalytical and biochemical applications. Compared to conventional oil and organic solvent-based systems, these systems are characterized by their rich bulk and interfacial properties, offering superior biocompatibility. In particular, phase separation in all-aqueous systems facilitates the creation of compartments with specific physicochemical properties, and therefore largely enhances the accessibility of the systems. In addition, the all-aqueous compartments have diverse affinities, with an important property known as partitioning, which can concentrate (bio)molecules toward distinct immiscible phases. This partitioning affinity imparts all-aqueous interfaces with selective permeability, enabling the controlled enrichment of target (bio)molecules. This review introduces the basic principles and applications of partitioning-induced interfacial phenomena in a typical all-aqueous system, namely aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs); these applications include interfacial chemical reactions, bioprinting, and assembly, as well as bio-sensing and detection. The primary challenges associated with designing all-aqueous phase separation systems and several future directions are also discussed, such as the stabilization of aqueous interfaces, the handling of low-volume samples, and exploration of suitable ATPSs compositions with the efficient protocol., (© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Materials published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.)

[Display omitted] Selenate adsorption onto metal oxide surfaces is a cost-effective method to remove the toxin from drinking water systems. However, the low selectivity of metal oxides requires frequent sorbent replacement. The design of selective adsorbents is stymied because the surface factors controlling selenate adsorption remain unknown. We calculate adsorption energies of selenate on the (0 1 2) α-Al 2 O 3 surface using density functional theory to unravel the physics that controls adsorption. Our model is validated against experiment by correctly predicting selenate removal efficiency as a function pH. We find that the selenate adsorption energy on the anhydrous α-Al 2 O 3 surface is surprisingly anti-correlated with the fully solvated adsorption energy; therefore, the direct interaction between adsorbate and sorbent is eliminated as the controlling mechanism. Rather, the change in number of surface hydrogen bonds after adsorption is the factor most correlated with the adsorption energy (R2 > 0.8); and is thus determined to be the factor controlling selenate adsorption. We find that pH affects adsorption by controlling the number of surface protons available for H-bonding to selenate. This work demonstrates that adsorption prediction should not be made based on gas phase sorption energies and suggests that surface engineering which increases surface protonation may be an effective strategy for increasing selenate sorption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To predict liquid–gas two-phase flow, accurate tracking of the evolving liquid–gas interface is required. Volume-of-fluid (VoF) method has been used for computationally modeling such flows where a single set of governing equations are solved for both phases along with an advection equation for the volume fraction. Properties in each cell are determined by a linear weighted average of the properties of the two fluids based on the phase fraction. While the method predicts water–air flows well, the predictions tend to deviate significantly from experiments for liquids with high viscosity. A new property averaging technique is proposed, which is shown to provide accurate results for high viscosity liquids. Computational predictions using open-source VoF solver inter-foam and the proposed method are compared with experimental data for multiple two-phase applications. Four different problems, viz., suspended drop, jet breakup, drop impact on thin films, and on liquid pools, are considered to extensively validate the new method. Data for aqueous solutions of propylene and ethylene glycol are used to cover a range of surface tension (72–36 mN/m) and viscosities (1–40 mPa·s). For all cases, the modified VoF solver is observed to perform significantly better than the original VoF method. It reduces spurious currents in simulations of a drop suspended in the air. For the cases of a drop impacting on a pool and during drop generation from liquid jets, the time progression of the surface tension governed dynamics is improved from the slower estimate of the inter-Foam solver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• DFT calculations provide atomistic insights into brine-calcite interface phenomena. • NaCl brine establishes an electrical double layer, whereas sulfate ions adhere to the calcite in Na 2 SO 4 brine. • Sulfate ions demonstrate a strong electronic affinity, forming direct non-covalent interactions with the calcite surface. • Adsorption energy calculations show decreased calcite hydrophilicity influenced by ions. • Charge redistribution analysis reveals electron transfer and sulfate ion preference at the calcite surface. A comprehensive investigation into the intricate dynamics at the interface of brines and calcite is imperative for effectively tackling challenges in enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Utilizing Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations, we scrutinized the adsorption behavior of NaCl and Na 2 SO 4 brines on the calcite surface, aiming to glean atomistic insights into their physicochemical characteristics. Our structural analysis reveals distinctive features: NaCl brine forms an electrical double layer atop the calcite surface, while Na 2 SO 4 brine demonstrates a predilection for the wetting layer, facilitated by electrostatic interactions of sulfate ions through the first hydration layer to the calcite surface. This preference is ascribed to the enhanced electronic potential of sulfate ions, which aids in their penetration to the surface and concurrent hydration by water molecules through non-covalent interactions. Calculations of adsorption energy unveil a decrease in calcite hydrophilicity upon ion interaction, with Na+/Cl− ions forming a comparatively less stable interface in contrast to Na+/SO 4 2− ions. Furthermore, analysis of charge redistribution highlights electron transfer from the calcite surface to interfacial water, with sulfate ions exhibiting a capability to interact with surface sites non-covalently and exchange charge. These findings underscore the significant influence of sulfate ions in altering the wetting characteristics of calcite, carrying implications for ion-modified waterflooding techniques in EOR strategies targeting carbonate reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of TiO 2 – based photocatalysts have been prepared by the incorporation of 10 wt% of various carbon-based nanomaterials as modifying agents to titania. More specifically, commercial TiO 2 P25 was modified through a wet impregnation approach with methanol with four different carbon nanostructures: single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), partially reduced graphene oxide (prGO), graphite (GI), and graphitic carbon nitride (gCN). Characterization results (XPS and Raman) anticipate the occurrence of important interfacial phenomena, preferentially for samples TiO 2 /SWCNT and TiO 2 /prGO, with a binding energy displacement in the Ti 2p contribution of 1.35 eV and 1.54 eV, respectively. These findings could be associated with an improved electron-hole mobility at the carbon/oxide interface. Importantly, these two samples constitute the most promising photocatalysts for Rhodamine B (RhB) photodegradation, with nearly 100% conversion in less than 2 h. These promising results must be associated with intrinsic physicochemical changes at the formed heterojunction structure and the potential dual-role of the composites able to adsorb and degrade RhB simultaneously. Cyclability tests confirm the improved performance of the composites (e.g., TiO 2 /SWCNT, 100% degradation in 1 h) due to the combined adsorption/degradation ability, although the regeneration after several cycles is not complete due to partial blocking of the inner cavities in the carbon nanotubes by non-reacted RhB. Under these reaction conditions, Rhodamine-B xanthene dye degrades via the de-ethylation route. [Display omitted] • TiO 2 -based photocatalysts modified with highly conductive carbon nanostructures. • Composite photocatalyst exhibit an extended oxide/carbon heterojunction. • Incorporation of carbon provides a dual-mechanism: adsorption and photodegradation. • TiO 2 /SWCNTs photocatalyst exhibits the most efficient photocatalytic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Icing in the form of condensation frosting occurs ubiquitously in our daily life and numerous industrial applications. As the frost layer mostly comprises mixed microscopic dendrites and discrete air pockets, condensation frosting manifests a thick porous media and thus catastrophically compromises the heat transfer efficiency of HVAC systems. Despite being a popular research topic for centuries, a few unprecedented advances in the study of condensation frosting have been only achieved very recently, such as the revealing of new features in the incipient stages of frost formation, which used to be too fast or too small to capture, and new anti-/de-frosting techniques have been developed based on the revealed physics. This work provides a comprehensive, up-to-date review of condensation frosting, with an emphasis placed on progress in the very latest decade. Fundamentals of condensation frosting, including condensation nucleation, coalescence and growth of the condensed drops, icing nucleation, formation of frost halos, freezing propagation via ice bridging, and lastly densification and fully developed frost layers, are introduced chronologically as what occurs. A summary of recent engineering efforts to alleviate the negative impacts of condensation frosting, referred to as anti-/de-frosting techniques, is also presented. The results of these studies can greatly enlighten the existing understanding of condensation frosting and, meanwhile, benefit the development of new anti-/de- frosting methods for numerous application backgrounds.

[Display omitted] • Pure liquids and their mixtures are used accessing a wide range of surface tensions. • Effect of surface structure vanishes above certain spacing independently of the liquid studied. • Coupling liquid surface tension and solid fraction reveals a unified wetting regime map. • This work expands on earlier works considering single structure of single fluid configurations. • Wetting and non-wetting regimes are supported by relevant equations. Liquid surface tension as well as solid structure play a paramount role on the intimate wetting and non-wetting regimes and interactions between liquids droplets and solid substrates. We hypothesise that the coupling of these two variables, independently addressed in the past, eventually offer a wider range of understanding to the surface science and interfacial communities. In this work, intrinsically hydrophobic micro-pillared surfaces varying in the spacing between structures, and pure ethanol, pure water and their binary mixtures (as well as acetone–water and ethylene glycol–water mixtures) are utilised, accessing a wide range of substrate solid fractions and liquid surface tensions experimentally . Wettability measurements are carried out at different azimuthal directions to exemplify the wetting/non-wetting behaviour as well as the droplet asymmetry function of both liquid composition and structure spacing. Our findings reveal that high water concentration droplets, i.e., high surface tension fluids, sit in the Cassie-Baxter regime while partial non-wetting Wenzel or mixed-mode regimes with enhanced droplet asymmetry ensuing for medium and high ethanol concentrations, i.e., low surface tension fluids, below certain micropillar spacing. Beyond micropillar spacing s ≥ 40 µm, the impact of the surface structure on the droplet shape is negligible, and droplets adopt a similar contact angle and circular shape as on a flat smooth hydrophobic surface. Wetting and non-wetting regimes are then supported by classical wetting theories and equations. A wetting regime map for a wide range of surface tension fluids and/or their mixtures on a wide domain of solid fractions is then proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Joining and integration technologies are integral to manufacturing of components based on ultrahigh‐temperature ceramics (UHTCs) such as transition metal diborides. Brazing is a particularly attractive joining technique because of its simplicity and versatility, but its use to join the UHTCs demands knowledge of the complex interplay among high‐temperature wettability, interfacial reactions, and chemical and thermoelastic compatibilities. This paper summarizes the research and development activities carried out over the last two decades to characterize the wettability and interfacial phenomena in brazing of refractory diboride ceramics. The contact angle data of various metal alloys on diboride‐based ceramics have been collected and critically evaluated in conjunction with an analysis of the chemistry and structure of the interface to understand the underlying mechanisms and phenomena that govern interface formation. It explores how solid–liquid interactions impact and are impacted by physical, chemical, and mechanical properties of joined materials. It also describes how this knowledge has been successfully utilized to create liquid‐phase bonded diboride‐based joints. The paper concludes with a summary of the current state of the art and highlights integration challenges and future research and technology development needs in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new materials and their production processes along with the environmental constraints demand new data of high quality, especially thermodynamic and physical property data. As slags play a crucial role in metallurgical processes and recycling, the need of better understanding of the reaction mechanisms between slag and metal is also increasingly felt. High precision data and better understanding of the reaction mechanism require efficient collaboration between the researchers in the laboratory and in the industries. Unfortunately, in some cases, the reported data are not obtained in well‐controlled experimental conditions. Without the knowledge of the experimental conditions, the use of the data in industrial practice would possibly lead to unintended results. In other cases, the measurements themselves, even their principles, are questionable. This review article addresses how to make the laboratory investigation more relevant to the industrial reality. Some existing uncertainties in the laboratory studies are also discussed. To help a sensible discussion, some specially designed experiments are conducted to support the argument. The review is focused on slag properties (namely, sulfide capacity, phosphate capacity, apparent viscosity, and apparent interfacial tension) and studies of interfacial slag phenomena. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Capillary pressure (Pc)-saturation (Sw) relations are essential for predicting equilibrium and flow of immiscible fluid pairs in soils and deeper geologic formations. In systems that are difficult to measure, behavior is often estimated based on capillary scaling of easily measured Pc–Sw relations (e.g., air-water, and oil-water), yet the reliability of such approximations needs to be examined. In this study, 17 sets of brine drainage and imbibition curves were measured with air-brine, decane-brine, and supercritical (sc) CO2-brine in homogeneous quartz and carbonate sands, using porous plate systems under ambient (0.1 MPa, 23°C) and reservoir (12.0 MPa, 45°C) conditions. Comparisons between these measurements showed significant differences in residual nonwetting phase saturation, Snw,r. Through applying capillary scaling, changes in interfacial properties were indicated, particularly wettability. With respect to the residual trapping of the nonwetting phases, Snwr, CO2 > Snwr, decane > Snwr, air. Decane-brine and scCO2-brine Pc–Sw curves deviated significantly from predictions assuming hydrophilic interactions. Moreover, neither the scaled capillary behavior nor Snw,r for scCO2-brine were well represented by decane-brine, apparently because of differences in wettability and viscosities, indicating limitations for using decane (and other organic liquids) as a surrogate fluid in studies intended to apply to geological carbon sequestration. Thus, challenges remain in applying scaling for predicting capillary trapping and multiphase displacement processes across such diverse fields as vadose zone hydrology, enhanced oil recovery, and geologic carbon sequestration.

Interfacial phenomena at a surface of porous and highly disperse adsorbents in the systems containing strongly and weakly bound and unbound liquids depend strongly on the confined space effects. These effects as well as the temperature behavior of liquids located in pores or voids between nanoparticles depend on many factors. They are the pore size distributions, pore volume, specific surface area, surface chemistry of adsorbents, chemical structure and molecular sizes of adsorbates, accessibility of pores vs. probe molecule sizes, as well as textural instability of adsorbents. This instability can appear, e.g., as compaction of fumed oxides under action of liquid adsorbates, especially water, or due to mechanochemical activation. The aim of this study is to analyze features of the interfacial phenomena upon interactions of fumed oxides (silica, alumina, alumina/silica/titania) and porous silicas (silica gels and precipitated silica) with polar (water, dimethyl sulfoxide), weakly polar (chloroform), and nonpolar (n-decane, aromatic benzene and toluene) liquid adsorbates depending on the morphological and textural characteristics of the adsorbents, various adsorbate characteristics, and temperature. The observed effects as well as related phenomena are important because they can differently influence the efficiency of practical applications of adsorbents under various conditions (temperature, pressure, concentrations) depending on the characteristics of adsorbents and adsorbates (liquids, solvents and solutes). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gallic acid and phloroglucinol are the main phenolic compounds of the pistachio green hull (Pistachia vera) extract. The anti-radical and -peroxide activities of gallic acid and phloroglucinol were compared through DPPH radicals scavenging, bleaching of β-carotene (BCB), and Rancimat assays. The gallic acid molecules (log P = − 0.46) with an electron-donating carboxylate anion had significantly higher radical scavenging activities than phloroglucinol molecules (log P = 1.38) in DPPH (IC50 = 30.53 vs. 45.72 μM), BCB (IC50 = 43.66 vs. 66.15 μM), and Rancimat (OSI = 4.89 vs. 2.26 h) assays. The combinational kinetic model was successfully used for the determination of kinetic parameters, such as induction period (IP), the maximum concentration of lipid hydroperoxides (PVmax), and critical reverse micelle concentration (CMC) in soybean oil triacylglycerols (TAGs) peroxidized at 60 °C. The kinetics parameters, antioxidant effectiveness (F), and activity (AA) revealed gallic acid had the highest inhibitory effect during TAGs peroxidation due to the improved interfacial performance. Gallic acid and phloroglucinol were able to protect TAGs against peroxidation (IP = 388.34–816.21 vs. 25.53–122.4 h) in terms of the extent of their participation in the main reaction of chain termination and pro-oxidative side reactions of chain initiation, and anti-oxidative side reactions of chain propagation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanowires are one of the most promising nano-building blocks for many applications, including sensors/biosensors, electronics, photonics, energy conversion and storage devices, MEMS and NEMS, biotechnology and nanomedicine. With the growing demands of multi-purpose and multi-functional materials in these fields, different types of multi-component nanowires with complex structures have been designed and fabricated. Among various fabrication methods, porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) and polycarbonate (PC) membranes are well-established hard templates that have been used for synthesizing a variety of nanowires and nanowire structures. In this article, a comprehensive review of template-synthesized multi-component nanowire structures has been given, including multi-segmented, core-shell and multi-element nanowires, which can be synthesized by using these hard templates in a sequential or parallel way. Besides, the assembly and integration of different functions and properties into smaller and lighter devices require careful interfacial design and synthesis of multi-component nanowires. The interfacial structure and properties, such as interface uniformity, intermetallic compound formation and surface oxidation, have significant impact on the electrical and thermal conductivity, mechanical strength, functionality, stability and reliability of nanowire-based electronics and devices. A rational interfacial design is crucially important to improve these properties of nanowire devices for emerging multi-functional sensors and actuators, due in fact that sensors and actuators are among the most important components in many electronics and products. Multi-component nanowire based sensors and actuators have potential applications in a wide range of mechanical, electrical, thermal, and biomedical devices.

Colloidal particles adsorb and remain trapped at immiscible fluid interfaces due to strong interfacial adsorption energy with a contact angle defined by the chemistry of the particle and fluid phases. An undulated contact line may appear due to either particle surface roughness or shape anisotropy, which results in a quadrupolar interfacial deformation and strong long-range capillary interaction between neighboring particles. While each effect has been observed separately, here we report the paradoxical impact of surface roughness on spherical and anisotropic ellipsoidal polymer colloids. Using a seeded emulsion polymerization technique, we synthesize spherical and ellipsoidal particles with controlled roughness magnitudes and topography (convex/concave). Via in situ measurement of the interfacial deformation around colloids at an air-water interface, we find that while surface roughness strengthens the quadrupolar deformation in spheres as expected by theory, in stark contrast, it weakens the same in ellipsoids. As roughness increases, particles of both shapes become more hydrophilic, and their apparent contact angle decreases. Using numerical predictions, we show that this partially explains the decreased interfacial deformation and capillary interactions between the ellipsoids. Therefore, particle surface engineering has the potential to decrease the capillary deformation by asymmetric particles via changing their capillary pinning, as well as wetting behavior at fluid interfaces.

Electrolyte solutions with high concentrations of ions are prevalent in biological systems and energy storage technologies. Nevertheless, the high interaction free energy and long-range nature of electrostatic interactions makes the development of a general conceptual picture of concentrated electrolytes a significant challenge. In this work, we study ionic liquids, single-component liquids composed solely of ions, in an attempt to provide a novel perspective on electrostatic screening in very high concentration (nonideal) electrolytes. We use temperature-dependent surface force measurements to demonstrate that the long-range, exponentially decaying diffuse double-layer forces observed across ionic liquids exhibit a pronounced temperature dependence: Increasing the temperature decreases the measured exponential (Debye) decay length, implying an increase in the thermally driven effective free-ion concentration in the bulk ionic liquids. We use our quantitative results to propose a general model of long-range electrostatic screening in ionic liquids, where thermally activated charge fluctuations, either free ions or correlated domains (quasiparticles), take on the role of ions in traditional dilute electrolyte solutions. This picture represents a crucial step toward resolving several inconsistencies surrounding electrostatic screening and charge transport in ionic liquids that have impeded progress within the interdisciplinary ionic liquids community. More broadly, our work provides a previously unidentified way of envisioning highly concentrated electrolytes, with implications for diverse areas of inquiry, ranging from designing electrochemical devices to rationalizing electrostatic interactions in biological systems.

This work investigates the transient multilayer electro-osmotic flow of viscoelastic fluids through an annular microchannel. The dimensionless mathematical model of multilayer flow is integrated by the linearized Poisson-Boltzmann equation, the Cauchy momentum equation, the rheological Maxwell model, initial conditions, and the electrostatic and hydrodynamic boundary conditions at liquid-liquid and solid-liquid interfaces. Although the main force that drives the movement of fluids is due to electrokinetic effects, a pressure gradient can also be added to the flow. The semi-analytical solution for the electric potential distribution and velocity profiles considers analytical techniques as the Laplace transform method, with numerical procedures using the inverse matrix method for linear algebraic equations and the concentrated matrix exponential method for the inversion of the Laplace transform. The results presented for velocity profiles and velocity tracking at the transient regime reveal an interesting oscillatory behavior that depends on elastic fluid properties via relaxation times. The time required for the flow to reach steady-state is highly dependent on the viscosity ratios and the dimensionless relaxation times. In addition, the influence of other dimensionless parameters on the flow as the electrokinetic parameters, zeta potentials at the walls, permittivity ratios, ratio of pressure forces to electro-osmotic forces, number of fluid layers, and annular thickness are investigated. The findings of this study have significant implications for the precise control of parallel fluid transport in microfluidic devices for flow-focusing applications.

In this paper we investigate polyelectrolyte complexes of sodium alginate (Alg) and chitin nanocrystals (ChNC). Formation, stability and transport properties of sunflower oil-in-water emulsions stabilized by ChNC-Alg complex were studied using dynamic light scattering (DLS), laser Doppler electrophoresis, optical microscopy, potentiometric titration, rheology and simulated digestion. It has been established that during emulsions formation, the ChNC-Alg complex is rearranged at the interface and the formation of a two-layer coating of the droplet occurs. Stabilized O/W emulsions are stable during storage, in the pH range 2–9 and centrifugal acceleration up to 2000 RCF. Presence of Ca2+ and Na+ ions in the range up to 150 mM has virtually no effect on the droplet size. Inclusion of 5 wt% Alg in the ChNC-based emulsion stabilizer system leads to a drop in Gibbs adsorption >16 times compared to the ChNC-stabilized emulsion, increase in viscosity and rheopexy index of the systems. We found that chemical properties of colloidal phase surface and rheological properties of emulsions stabilized by ChNC-Alg are mostly dependent on the droplet size, not the type of oil as a result of a comparative study of sunflower oil/liquid paraffin oil. Emulsion drops of an optimized composition are stable in the upper parts of the model gastrointestinal tract system and transport vitamin D3 to the small intestine without significant losses. The bioavailability of vitamin D3 in emulsions stabilized with the ChNC-Alg complex is higher than for emulsions stabilized with ChNC alone. • Emulsions are stable over wide ranges of pH, ionic strength and centrifugal forces. • Oil droplets have two-layer coating providing controlled digestive stability. • Alginate increases droplet size stability and preservation of emulsified vitamin D3. • Chitin-alginate stabilizing complex increases bioavailability of vitamin D3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ocular surface disorders, such as dry eye disease, ocular rosacea, and allergic conjunctivitis, are a heterogeneous group of diseases that require an interdisciplinary approach to establish underlying causes and develop effective therapeutic strategies. These diverse disorders share a common thread in that they involve direct changes in ocular surface chemistry as well as the rheological properties of the tear film and topographical attributes of the cellular elements of the ocular surface. Knowledge of these properties is crucial to understand the formation and stability of the preocular tear film. The study of interfacial phenomena of the ocular surface flourished during the 1970s and 1980s, but after a series of lively debates in the literature concerning distinctions between the epithelial and the glandular origin of ocular surface disorders during the 1990s, research into this important topic has declined. In the meantime, new tools and techniques for the characterization and functionalization of biological surfaces have been developed. This review summarizes the available literature regarding the physicochemical attributes of the ocular surface, analyzes the role of interfacial phenomena in the pathobiology of ocular surface disease, identifies critical knowledge gaps concerning interfacial phenomena of the ocular surface, and discusses the opportunities for the exploitation of these phenomena to develop improved therapeutics for the treatment of ocular surface disorders.

There are various interfacial phenomenona in ironmaking and steelmaking, including slag foaming, nucleation, aggregation, removal of inclusions in steel, and refractory corrosion. The slag-metal interface has a crucial influence on the mass transfer, energy transfer, and interfacial chemical reaction. Interfacial wettability is a very important aspect of the interfacial interaction, and studying it is essential to further understand the interfacial phenomenona. In general, the interfacial wettability can be measured by contact angle and interfacial tension. In studying interfacial phenomena, it is necessary to first measure various quantities of interfacial wettability such as surface tension, interfacial tension, and contact angle, on the same conditions of interfacial phenomena or processes. Improving the interfacial wettability can be beneficial to the control of melting and refining processes. For example, when the contact angle between the molten slag and inclusion in steel reduces and the surface tension of the molten slag increases, the adhesion between the molten slag and inclusion is stronger, and it becomes easier to remove the inclusions. Therefore, the basic concepts of contact angle and interfacial tension were first introduced in this paper. Furthermore, the common methods of measuring contact angle and surface tension in an elevated temperature system were summarized, especially for the sessile drop method, which is the mostly used in laboratory experiments. During steelmaking processes, the interfacial wettability is significantly influenced by the system compositions, especially the surface active elements in steel and the surface active composition in slag. Moreover, the influences of temperature are also considerable. Hence, the effects of these two main factors, compositions and temperature, on the interfacial wettability were analyzed in detail. Finally, the wettability among the common materials in steelmaking processes was summarized.

Graphene oxide (GO) shares many novel mechanical and electronic properties with graphene and has been applied extensively for uses in physics, engineering and medicine. Computational simulations of GO have widely neglected accurate characterisation by random functionalisation, forsaking steric strain and abandoning edge functional groups. Here, we show that molecular dynamics forcefield design using electronic structure calculations of hundreds of atoms of GO with accurate functionalisation shows good agreement with state-of-the-art ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations. We find that the bespoke forcefield shows better agreement with previous AIMD and experimental results in terms of the interfacial water dynamics and ion adsorption. Namely, GO described by the bespoke forcefield is found to disrupt the hydrogen bonding network at the interface by playing a more dynamic role in accepting and donating hydrogen bonds from water. Furthermore, with the bespoke forcefield, we find preferential adsorption of ions to carboxyl functional groups and a similar mean adsorption half-life for Na + and Cl − ions around GO. These findings are critical for future investigations of GO in complex environments in application ranging from desalination to protein adsorption for drug delivery. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A-300 + AM1 + water + stirring → wetted A-300/AM1 powder → water + n -decane adsorbed. Upon mechanical hydrocompaction of nanosilicas, bulk density increases by order of magnitude that affects the behavior of adsorbates. • Mechanical treatment of wetted nanosilicas gives hydrocompacted powders. • Confined space effects influence the behavior of bound water/ice at T < 273 K. • n -Decane and chloroform affect the behavior and location of water/ice bound in the blends. Various nanosilica characteristics depend on hydrophobization strongly affecting interfacial phenomena. Is it possible to prepare hydrophilic samples with hydrophobic silica (AM1) alone and in blends with hydrophilic one (A–300)? It can be done with addition of a small amount of water to the powders which then are mechanically treated. Nanosilicas were characterized using adsorption, desorption, microscopic, spectroscopic, and quantum chemistry methods. 1H NMR spectroscopy and cryoporometry were applied to AM1 and AM1/A–300 blends wetted and mechanically treated. Wetted blends were studied with additions of n -decane and chloroform-d. The powders wetted at h = 0.3–3.0 g of water per gram of dry solids have increased bulk density. Samples are in gel-like state at h = 4–5 g/g. Water interaction energy with nanoparticles nonmonotonically depends on h (maximal at h = 3 g/g). Upon mechanical treatment of wetted blends (h < 1.5 g/g), separated AM1 structures are absent. At greater h values, blend reorganization occurs to form AM1 aggregates covered by A–300 shells. Organics can displace water from mesovoids toward narrower pores inaccessible for larger molecules or into larger voids to reduce the contact area between immiscible liquids. Freezing point depression caused by confined space and dissolution effects is affected by the blend organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]