Nanoscale insights into vibration-induced heterogeneous ice nucleation

PX Chen and R Pillai and S Datta, NANOSCALE, 17, 14172-14182 (2025).

DOI: 10.1039/d5nr00326a

Accelerating ice nucleation in confined liquids is desirable in applications like food freezing, cryopreservation, and ice casting, but current techniques have their limitations. The use of high-frequency acoustic waves (AW) is a promising alternative but remains poorly- understood. We employ molecular dynamics simulations to investigate AW- induced ice nucleation within confined nanopores. By systematically varying vibrational amplitude and frequency, we identify five distinct nucleation regimes, forming a comprehensive regime map that links these parameters to nucleation outcomes. Our simulations reveal that ice nucleation is preceded by formation of ice-like clusters, and is strongly influenced by negative pressure induced by surface vibrations. A strain-based criterion is introduced to generalize the findings to larger lengthscales. This enables us to propose a universal framework for controlling ice formation via surface vibrations in industrial applications.

Return to Publications page