Formation of nanoscale liquid menisci in electric fields

Abstract

Nanometer-sized menisci of polar and nonpolar liquids are used to confine chemical reactions. Electric fields applied between two surfaces a few nanometers apart allow the formation and manipulation of three-dimensional nanoscale liquid bridges. At low fields, two stable shapes coexist: one represents a small liquid protrusion underneath the strongest field lines while the other is a nanoscale liquid contact bridging both surfaces. The formation of a nanoscale liquid meniscus requires the application of a threshold voltage to overcome the energy barrier between stable configurations. The bridge formation is accompanied by a drastic reduction of the electrical field at the solid-liquid interface.