Yuehua Yuan

Bio: Yuehua Yuan is an academic researcher from Texas Center for Superconductivity. The author has contributed to research in topics: Wetting & Wetting transition. The author has an hindex of 3, co-authored 3 publications receiving 1181 citations. Previous affiliations of Yuehua Yuan include University of Houston.

Contact Angle and Wetting Properties

Abstract: This chapter highlights a variety of techniques that are commonly used to measure contact angles, including the conventional telescope-goniometer method, the Wilhelmy balance method, and the more recently developed drop-shape analysis methods. The various applications and limitations of these techniques are described. Notably, studies of ultrasmall droplets on solid surfaces allow wetting theories to be tested down to the nanometer scale, bringing new insight to contact angle phenomena and wetting behavior.

Robust Carboxylic Acid-Terminated Organic Thin Films and Nanoparticle Protectants Generated from Bidentate Alkanethiols

Abstract: A new carboxylic acid-terminated alkanethiol having bidentate character, 16-(3,5-bis(mercaptomethyl)phenoxy)hexadecanoic acid (BMPHA), was designed as an absorbate and protectant to form thermally stable carboxylic acid-terminated organic thin films on flat gold and nanoparticles, respectively. The structural features of the organic thin films derived from BMPHA were characterized by ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (PM-IRRAS), and compared to those derived from mercaptohexadecanoic acid (MHA) and 16-(4-(mercaptomethyl)phenoxy)hexadecanoic acid (MMPHA). This study demonstrates that films derived from BMPHA are less densely packed than films derived from MHA and MMPHA. However, the results of solution-phase thermal desorption tests revealed that the carboxylic acid-terminated films generated from BMPHA exhibit an enhanced thermal stability compared to those generated from MHA and MMPHA. Furthermore, as a nanopartic...

Solution-Phase Desorption of Self-Assembled Monolayers on Gold Derived From Terminally Perfluorinated Alkanethiols

Abstract: The solution-phase thermal desorption of three series of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold generated from terminally perfluorinated alkanethiols was examined. Series 1 SAMs, F(CF2)x(CH2)11SH, where x = 1–10, consisted of a constant hydrocarbon segment length with an increasing fluorocarbon segment length. Series 2 SAMs, F(CF2)10(CH2)ySH, where y = 2–6, 11, consisted of a constant fluorocarbon segment length with an increasing hydrocarbon segment length. Series 3 SAMs, F(CF2)x(CH2)ySH, where x = 1–10 and y = 16 – x, consisted of both hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon segments in which the segment lengths were varied while holding the total chain length constant at 16 carbon atoms. SAMs from these three series were prepared and characterized using both ellipsometry and contact-angle measurements. The resultant SAMs were shown to be highly hydrophobic and oleophobic. The SAMs were heated in decalin (DC) and perfluorodecalin (PFD) at 80 °C for various periods of time to monitor their thermal stability when ...

CO2 wettability of seal and reservoir rocks and the implications for carbon geo-sequestration

Abstract: We review the literature data published on the topic of CO2 wettability of storage and seal rocks. We first introduce the concept of wettability and explain why it is important in the context of carbon geo-sequestration (CGS) projects, and review how it is measured. This is done to raise awareness of this parameter in the CGS community, which, as we show later on in this text, may have a dramatic impact on structural and residual trapping of CO2. These two trapping mechanisms would be severely and negatively affected in case of CO2-wet storage and/or seal rock. Overall, at the current state of the art, a substantial amount of work has been completed, and we find that: Sandstone and limestone, plus pure minerals such as quartz, calcite, feldspar, and mica are strongly water wet in a CO2-water system. Oil-wet limestone, oil-wet quartz, or coal is intermediate wet or CO2 wet in a CO2-water system. The contact angle alone is insufficient for predicting capillary pressures in reservoir or seal rocks. The current contact angle data have a large uncertainty. Solid theoretical understanding on a molecular level of rock-CO2-brine interactions is currently limited. In an ideal scenario, all seal and storage rocks in CGS formations are tested for their CO2 wettability. Achieving representative subsurface conditions (especially in terms of the rock surface) in the laboratory is of key importance but also very challenging.

O2 Activation by Metal Surfaces: Implications for Bonding and Reactivity on Heterogeneous Catalysts

Abstract: The activation of O2 on metal surfaces is a critical process for heterogeneous catalysis and materials oxidation. Fundamental studies of well-defined metal surfaces using a variety of techniques have given crucial insight into the mechanisms, energetics, and dynamics of O2 adsorption and dissociation. Here, trends in the activation of O2 on transition metal surfaces are discussed, and various O2 adsorption states are described in terms of both electronic structure and geometry. The mechanism and dynamics of O2 dissociation are also reviewed, including the importance of the spin transition. The reactivity of O2 and O toward reactant molecules is also briefly discussed in the context of catalysis. The reactivity of a surface toward O2 generally correlates with the adsorption strength of O, the tendency to oxidize, and the heat of formation of the oxide. Periodic trends can be rationalized in terms of attractive and repulsive interactions with the d-band, such that inert metals tend to feature a full d band ...