Dankook University researchers identify 75% nanoparticle deformation

A research team led by Professor Kim Se-young at Dankook University has experimentally identified for the first time how the surface tension of water can deform nanoparticles by up to 75%. The study, published in the journal ‘Nano Letters’, demonstrates the ‘elastocapillary phenomenon’, where the interaction between a particle's stiffness and surface tension causes structural changes.

Using neutron reflectivity experiments to non-destructively measure spherical polymer nanoparticles in a Langmuir trough, the team was able to observe real-time deformations that were previously difficult to quantify due to the minute scale of the particles. This discovery provides a foundation for designing next-generation surfactant nanoparticles, which are essential for stabilizing interfaces in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and eco-friendly coating processes.

The research was conducted as an international collaboration involving Purdue University in the United States and the J-PARC research institute in Japan.