The influence of interface curvature on the properties of nuclei of a new phase in binary solution

The surface tension sigma, adsorption, and Tolman parameters were expanded in powers of the interface curvature c. The expansions of the adsorption an d Tolman parameters correct to terms linear in c and the expansion of the s urface tension correct to the quadratic term were used. Using the van der W aals theory of capillarity, coefficients in the expansions were expressed i n terms of characteristics of the plane interface. The dependence sigma(c) for nuclei of a new phase was analyzed when entering the metastable region along the constant concentration line and the line in which properties of t he curved interface in the binary solution are isomorphous to those in the one-component system. The expansions for the van der Waals fluid were compa red with results of numerical calculations. It was shown that the derived f ormulas operate in a wide range of curvatures and are applicable for determ ining the work of formation of a critical nucleus in the theory of homogene ous nucleation.