Contaminant Removal Using Vibrating Surfaces: Nanoscale Insights and a Universal Scaling Law.

ABSTRACT: The development of active self-cleaning surfaces, i.e., surfaces that remove nanoscale contaminants using external forces such as electric or magnetic fields, is critical to many engineering applications. The use of surface vibrations represents a promising alternative, but the underlying nanoscale physics, in the absence of an intermediate liquid medium, is poorly understood. We used molecular dynamics simulations to explore the use of ultra-high-frequency surface acoustic wave devices for contaminant removal. Our simulations reveal that there exists a critical vibrational energy threshold, determined by the amplitude and frequency of the surface vibrations, that must be surpassed to effectively dislodge contaminant particles. We derive a universal scaling law that links the characteristi

SUBMITTER: Pillai R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11926963 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature