Charge-Dipole Acceleration of Polar Gas Molecules towards Charged Nanoparticles: Involvement in Powerful Charge-Induced Catalysis of Heterophase Chemical Reactions and Ball Lightning Phenomenon

Figure 11

When electrostatically neutral metal aerosol particle is exposed to a gradual spotty oxidation in humid air, it is initially covered with a semi-conductor or dielectric metal oxide shell. Correspondingly, electron diffusion from the metal core into the semiconductor or dielectric shell will charge the metal core with a positive charge, while the metal oxide shell of this particle will be spotty charged with a negative charge. Local spots of the negative charge will arise on the surface of this particle during its initial oxidation. These locally charged oxidized surface spots will attract surrounding polar molecules of water vapour from ambient air due to a charge-dipole interaction. So, the particle surface will be quickly and completely hydrated. Such electrostatic hydration of the nanoparticle surface can often transform the metal oxide semiconductor or dielectric shell into the metal hydroxide or oxyhydroxide electrolyte shell. In this case, at relatively low temperatures, preferential diffusion of the metal or hydroxyl ions within the hydrated electrolyte surface layers will form a new, opposite redistribution of electrostatic charges between the metal core (negatively charged now) and electrolyte shell (positively charged) with periodic relaxation of such electrochemically generated increasing electrostatic intensity by the field and thermoionic electron emission core-shell breakdowns.