Abstract In this review we examine the influence of the line tension τ on droplets and particles at surfaces. The line tension influences the nucleation behavior and contact angle of liquid droplets at both liquid and solid surfaces and alters the attachment energetics of solid particles to liquid surfaces. Many factors, occurring over a wide range of length scales, contribute to the line tension. On atomic scales, atomic rearrangements and reorientations of submolecular components give rise to an atomic line tension contribution τatom (∼1 nN), which depends on the similarity/dissimilarity of the droplet/particle surface composition compared with the surface upon which it resides. At nanometer length scales, an integration over the van der Waals interfacial potential gives rise to a mesoscale contribution |τvdW| ∼ 1–100 pN while, at millimeter length scales, the gravitational potential provides a gravitational contribution τgrav ∼ +1–10 μN. τgrav is always positive, whereas, τvdW can have either sign. Near wetting, for very small contact angle droplets, a negative line tension may give rise to a contact line instability. We examine these and other issues in this review.

中文翻译：

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线张力及其对表面液滴和颗粒的影响

摘要 在这篇综述中，我们研究了线张力 τ 对表面液滴和颗粒的影响。线张力影响液滴在液体和固体表面的成核行为和接触角，并改变固体颗粒对液体表面的附着能量。发生在各种长度范围内的许多因素都会导致线张力。在原子尺度上，亚分子组分的原子重排和重新定向会产生原子线张力贡献 τatom (∼1 nN)，这取决于液滴/粒子表面组成与其所在表面的相似性/不同性。在纳米长度尺度上，范德华界面势上的积分产生了中尺度贡献|τvdW| ∼ 1–100 pN 而，在毫米长度尺度上，引力势提供了引力贡献 τgrav ∼ +1–10 μN。τgrav 总是正的，而 τvdW 可以有任何一个符号。接近润湿，对于非常小的接触角液滴，负线张力可能会导致接触线不稳定。我们在本次审查中研究了这些和其他问题。