Heterogeneous nucleation of supercooled water, and the effect of an added catalyst

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002 Jul 23;99(15):9631-4. doi: 10.1073/pnas.152253399. Epub 2002 Jul 11.

Abstract

The statistics of liquid-to-crystal nucleation are measured rigorously by using a recently developed automated lag-time apparatus (ALTA). A single sample, in this case a sample of pure water both with and without an (insoluble) AgI crystal, is repeatedly cooled, nucleated, and thawed. Analysis of the data, coupled with a second kind of experiment, shows that the statistics of nucleation are consistent with a first-order kinetic mechanism over a wide range of supercooling temperatures. The limitations of classical nucleation theory are exhibited. Our analysis unifies many related experiments in biology, physics, chemistry, and chemical engineering.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catalysis
  • Crystallization
  • Kinetics
  • Thermodynamics
  • Water / chemistry*

Substances

  • Water