Heterogenous nucleation in a cave with an apex and iso-curvature lateral surface

• Nucleation in a cave with iso-curvature lateral surface and one apex is considered.
• Nucleation in a cave is compared with nucleation on spherical and conical cavity substrates.
• Nucleation in a cave can also be sensitive even if the cave has the microscale geometry.

A cave surface for heterogeneous nucleation is always assumed as a concave spherical or conical substrate. Nucleation in such assumed geometries has been well understood. However, a cave or a groove always has some cusps and certain lateral surface curvature. These geometries of a cave will have important effects on heterogenous nucleation. Here the nucleation in a cave with iso-curvature lateral surface and one apex was investigated in the scope of classical nucleation theory. Nucleation in a cave was described by comparing with nucleation on spherical and conical substrates. Results show that when the contact angle is the acute angle, nucleation in a cave with the convex or concave lateral surface is easier than nucleation on the corresponding spherical surfaces. Furthermore, nucleation in a cave with the concave surface is the easiest and nucleation on the convex surface of a cave is the most difficult, while nucleation in a conical cavity is always in between. However, whether a nucleus is more easily formed in a cave is dependent on the sizes of the cave geometry for the contact angle being the obtuse angle. As the apex angle is close to zero, nucleation in a conical cavity is easier than in a cave with the concave surface but more difficult than in a cave with the convex surface for the contact angle being the obtuse angle. The effect degree of the surface curvature of a cave on nucleation is dependent on the apex angle and the contact angle.