Size dependence of the surface tension and the problem of Gibbs thermodynamics extension to nanosystems

Abstract

The problem of the applicability of the Gibbs thermodynamics to nanosized objects is investigated. It is shown that the Gibbs surface phases method may be extended to nanoparticles if the effective surface tension (the specific excess free energy) is interpreted as a function of the particle radius. The specific surface free energy (the surface tension) for nanodroplets and nanocrystals of noble gases and aluminum was calculated using the thermodynamic perturbation theory. It has been shown that the averaged surface tension decreases with the particle size both for small droplets and for nanocrystals.