Heterogeneous nucleation on surfaces of the three-dimensional cylindrical substrate

Abstract

Heterogeneous nucleation often requires the assistance of substrates or impurities, and the geometric morphologies of the substrates are diverse. Based on classical nucleation theory, we use a thermodynamic model to analyze the nucleation on a three-dimensional cylindrical substrate, with a particular focus on the influence of the geometry and wettability of the substrate surface on the heterogeneous nucleation barrier. At the same time, the average curvature is used to determine the analytical expression of nucleation barrier of the cylinder. We find that on a convex substrate, the smaller the radius of curvature, the higher the nucleation energy barrier. On a concave substrate, the larger the curvature radius, the higher the nucleation energy barrier. We found that when the base radius is equivalent to the critical nucleation radius, the difference between the nucleation energy barrier of the spherical substrate and the cylindrical substrate has an extreme value. The results in this report provide a basic physical model for the selection of carbon nanotubes as heterogeneous nucleating agents and the design of microstructure surfaces to enhance heat transfer.