Work

Directional Drying in Bilayer Porous Films: Funnel vs Ink-Bottle Geometries

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: We investigate the drying dynamics of mesoporous silicon bilayers with controlled pore geometries during ethanol evaporation. Using Reflective Interferometric Fourier Transform Spectroscopy (RIFTS), we track the evolution of liquid saturation in each layer. We find that placing smaller pores atop larger ones─mimicking an ink-bottle geometry─can unexpectedly accelerate evaporation under specific thickness ratios. This behavior suggests a complex interplay of mass transport mechanisms beyond simple geometrical constraints. Additionally, we introduce a novel image-based method for spatially resolved saturation mapping over millimeter-scale areas, complementing the localized RIFTS measurements. Our results demonstrate that evaporation dynamics in porous films can be modulated through structural design, providing new experimental tools to study and tailor fluid transport in hierarchical porous materials.

Source: Langmuir

DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c02674

Authors: Luisa Guadalupe Cencha, Alesio Nehuén Benitez, Nicolas Budini, Claudio Luis Alberto Berli, Raul Urteaga

Institutions: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Instituto de Física del Litoral, Instituto de Desarrollo Tecnológico para la Industria Química

Language: English

Topic: Heat and Mass Transfer in Porous Media

Subfield: Computational Mechanics

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad Nacional del Litoral

Awards: G2540570145, G7018900998