Method and apparatus to produce ions and nanodrops from Taylor cones of volatile liquids at reduced pressures
AssigneeYale University
InventorJuan Fernandez De La Mora
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention concerns the formation of a stable electrospray of a volatile liquid at reduced pressures by limiting its tendency to evaporate. In a first approach, multi-component capillary jets are produced, comprising a thin layer of low volatility liquid, which is not necessarily a good conductor, surrounding a core of volatile and conducting liquid such as water, so as to minimize direct exposure of the volatile liquid to the region of low pressure. In a second approach, the diameter of the meniscus of a Taylor cone is reduced to a critical diameter, below which no evaporative freezing occurs.
Claims24
A method of forming a stable electrospray of a volatile liquid in a low pressure environment comprising the steps of:
- a. supplying two or more liquids into an emitter electrode located in a low pressure environment, wherein at least one of said liquids is a volatile liquid and at least one of said liquid is an involatile liquid, wherein a tendency of said at least one volatile liquid to freeze, boil, or evaporate is diminished by covering substantially all free surfaces of said at least one volatile liquid with one or more layer of said at least one involatile liquid, so as to minimize direct exposure of said at least one involatile liquid to said low pressure environment, and
- b. establishing a voltage difference between said emitter electrode and one or more surrounding electrodes or grids, wherein a meniscus formed by said two or more liquids supplied to said emitter electrode forms one or more Taylor cones, from whose tip region at least one of drops and ions of said two or more liquids are ejected.
An apparatus for forming a stable electrospray of a volatile liquid in a low pressure environment comprising:
- a) two or more electrodes or grids, including at least one emitter electrode and at least one extractor electrode or grid;
- b) means to establish a difference of electrical potential between at least two of said electrodes or grid;
- and
- c) means for supplying a flow of two or more liquids from at least two reservoirs to said emitter electrode;
- wherein said difference of electrical potential is controlled to form a Taylor cone jet in said emitter electrode from whose tip region at least one of drops and ions of said two or more liquid are ejected into said low-pressure environment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.