Nanometre-sized droplets from a gas dynamic virtual nozzle
Journal article, 2019

This paper reports on improved techniques to create and characterize nanometre-sized droplets from dilute aqueous solutions by using a gas dynamic virtual nozzle (GDVN). It describes a method to measure the size distribution of uncharged droplets, using an environmental scanning electron microscope, and provides theoretical models for the droplet sizes created. The results show that droplet sizes can be tuned by adjusting the gas and liquid flow rates in the GDVN, and at the lowest liquid flow rates, the size of the water droplets peaks at about 120 nm. This droplet size is similar to droplet sizes produced by electrospray ionization but requires neither electrolytes nor charging of the solution. The results presented here identify a new operational regime for GDVNs and show that predictable droplet sizes, comparable to those obtained by electrospray ionization, can be produced by purely mechanical means in GDVNs.

coherent X-ray diffractive imaging (CXDI)

structural biology

droplet size

gas dynamic virtual nozzles (GDVNs)

environmental scanning electron microscopy

nanoscience

single particles

sample delivery

aerosols

Author

Kerstin Mühlig

Uppsala University

Alfonso M. Gañán-Calvo

University of Seville

Jakob Andreasson

Uppsala University

Chalmers, Physics, Materials Physics

Czech Academy of Sciences

Daniel S.D. Larsson

Uppsala University

Janos Hajdu

Czech Academy of Sciences

Uppsala University

Martin Svenda

Uppsala University

Royal Institute of Technology (KTH)

Journal of Applied Crystallography

0021-8898 (ISSN) 1600-5767 (eISSN)

Vol. 52 800-808

Subject Categories

Energy Engineering

Metallurgy and Metallic Materials

Fluid Mechanics and Acoustics

DOI

10.1107/S1600576719008318

More information

Latest update

8/28/2020