Growth morphology and symmetry selection of interfacial instabilities in anisotropic environments

Abstract

We show that both the viscosity ratio between the inner and outer fluid and the degree of anisotropy control the symmetry of dendritic patterns in the viscous fingering instability.

Influence of Flow Field Design on Zinc Deposition and Performance in a Zinc-Iodide Flow Battery

“…The micrograph depicts a fibrous growth with a rough anisotropic surface, indicating higher overpotential during the zinc deposition during the charging process. 17 In the FBT design, a layer-like and compact zinc deposit was observed at the electrode surface, as shown in Figure 4b. The SEM micrographs of the electrode cross section, along with an EDS line-scan analysis through the depth of the electrode (Figure S9), illustrate the morphology and distribution of the zinc deposit on the surface and inside the electrode.…”

“…The micrograph of the zinc deposit in the FB design is shown in Figure a. The micrograph depicts a fibrous growth with a rough anisotropic surface, indicating higher overpotential during the zinc deposition during the charging process . In the FBT design, a layer-like and compact zinc deposit was observed at the electrode surface, as shown in Figure b.…”

“…Anisotropy in solid–liquid interfacial energy plays a critical role in dendrite growth and the crystallographic growth direction of dendrites . It has been reported that the presence of surface energy anisotropy changes morphology in the interfacial dynamics, leading to dendritic growth with regular structure. , Wang et al found that at a high current density, formation of a leaf-like morphology was observed, which may be due to powerful surface energy anisotropy . Recently, a new zinc-based system was reported where dendrite formation could be controlled in a multiphase electrolyte by rational design of electrodeposition conditions .…”

Dendritic patterns from shear-enhanced anisotropy in nematic liquid crystals

“…In this instability, fingers of the displacing fluid grow into the displaced one and undergo successive tip splitting, which leads to ramified patterns with many branches that belong to the class of dense-branching growth (8)(9)(10). The ubiquitous tip splitting can be prevented by introducing anisotropy in the interfacial dynamics, which stabilizes the fingertips into parabolic shapes; the resulting pattern transitions to dendritic growth (1,(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16). Dense-branching growth and dendritic growth are two essential morphologies that emerge in a diverse range of physical phenomena, including electrochemical deposition and the growth of bacteria colonies (3,4,(17)(18)(19).…”

“…Given the important role of anisotropy in selecting the growth morphology, various experimental methods have been developed to introduce anisotropy in the viscous fingering instability (20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25). The most well-established means is to geometrically modify the growth environment by engraving ordered channels on one of the plates of the Hele-Shaw cell (16,26,27). Another strategy is to use a non-Newtonian fluid as one of the fluids, where the anisotropy is an intrinsic property of the medium itself.…”