Experimental Investigation of the Homogeneous Nucleation of a Supersaturated Bismuth Vapor: Estimation of the Surface Tension of Critical Nuclei

摘要

The thermodynamic properties of an interface are completely determined by the surface tension. It has recently become obvious that the surface tension σ of a drop of a radius on the order of 1 nm differs significantly from the surface tension of a flat surface [1,2]. In this context, for understanding and predicting such processes as homogeneous nucleation, dissolution of nanoparticles, and formation and aging of colloidal systems, and also the thermodynamic stability, the surface tension of nanosized drops should be known.