ISSN: 4201-3394

Volume 8, Number 2, 2020

International Journal of Engineering Science and Advanced Technology

MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF COHESION ENERGY FOR CORONA VIRUS PARTICLES

IN HUMAN BLOOD CELL USING THERMODYNAMIC CONTACT ANGLE APPROACH.

IweriolorSunday
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Delta State Polytechnic,Ogwashi-uku, Delta State Nigeria.
Correspondence to: S. Iweriolor ,sundaytrevor1234@gmail.com

ABSTRACT
The uniqueness of the corona virus microbiological pathways has necessitated the need for a
mathematical model to predict its surface interaction with human blood cells which can serve as a
proactive measure in the understanding of the virus and the development of the vaccine. It is
clear from this study that the interaction between virus and the host cell during the first step of
virus-host encounter is not just limited to the hospitality of the host cells to the virus resulting in
cellular binding and entry. Virus-host interaction is a two way dialogue in which the virus takes
advantage of the host cells owned signal transduction system to transmit signals to the cells.The
model so develop can make use of so many probe liquids like water with surface tension of
72.8dyn/cm, glycerin at surface tension of 63.4dyn/cm, olive oil with surface tension 32dyn/cm.
This model can be extended to other viral infection such as herpes simplex virus, hepatitis c virus
and so on for the determination of their surface interaction energies with the human blood cells so
long as the contact angle has been determined experimentally.

Key words: Surface Tension,Surface Energy, Blood Cells,ContactAmgle,Total Surface

Energy.

INTRODUCTION
Contact angle is a versatile technique capable of exposing the hydrophobic and hydrophilic
properties of surface which determines the wettability of such interfaces. This techniques can
provide receding andadvancing measurements on a wide range of materials, using water and
organic solvents as probe liquids (Iweriolor and Achebe,2018).Precise characterization of solid
material surfaces plays a vital role in research and product development in many industrial and
academic areas. Wettability of the surface is important in processes like painting and printing.
Determining the hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties of surfaces using contact angle can be
relevant in technological processes such as surface coating and painting, ink-jet printing, surface
cleaning, and dispersion of active formulations. This technique has also been utilized to investigate
complex cell-biomaterial interactions. The contact angle less than 900 (θ<900) indicates that the
wetting of the surface is favorable and the fluid spread over a large area of the surface while the
angle greater than 900(θ>900) generally means that the wetting of the surface under
consideration is not favorable and as such the fluid will minimize its contact with the surface to
form a compact liquid droplets. More specifically, contact angle of zero (θ=0) characterize
complete wetting as the droplets turns into a flat puddle (Yuan and Lee, 2013).
The mechanism of the viral proliferation and treatment of corona virus pandemic is a developing
area that demands an interdisciplinary approach. This method as adopted by this research will
help investigate the degree of wetting when the CNV-RNA is inoculated in the experiment in vitro.
The interaction between the virus-RNA and the treatments can be likened to particle – particle
interactions (Achebe et al, 2012, Iweriolor et al 2020).Corona treatment is a surface modification
technique that uses low temperature corona discharge plasma to impart changes in the properties
of a surface. The corona plasma is generated by the application of high voltage to an electrode
that has a sharp tip. The plasma forms at the tip. A linear array of electrodes is often used to
create a curtain of corona plasma. Materials such as plastics, cloth, or paper may be passed
through the corona plasma curtain in order to change the surface energy of the material. All

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International Journal of Engineering Science and Advanced Technology

materials have an inherent surface energy. Surface treatment systems are available for virtually
any surface format including dimensional objects, sheets and roll goods that are handled in a web
format. Corona treatment is a widely used surface treatment method in the plastic film, extrusion,
and converting industries.

Static Sessile Drop Mechanism

This method uses different liquids to probe the surface energy of solid substrates, to evaluate
successful surface functionalisation and to detect homogeneities in surface coatings.
Several techniques are available for the measurement of contact angle such as wilhelmy balance
method, capillary rise method, dunoy ring method and sessile drop method but the use of sessile
drop method as a means of characterizing surfaces is increasingly on the lead. The advantages of
this method are easy handling and rapid data collection, high reproducibility through automatic
dosing and positioning of test liquids and user-independent measurement through software
controlled contact angle determination. It can be stated here that contact angle are not limited to
liquid vapor interface on solids, they are also applicable to liquid-liquid interface on a solid.
The sessile drop technique is a method used for the characterization of surface energies of both
solids and liquids. Parameters like contact angle, known surface energy of the liquid can be used
to calculate the surface energies of the solid and the liquids used for such experiments are called
the probe liquids. The measured angle θ is the contact angle as shown in figure 1.0

Figure 1.0 Contact angle diagram (Rullison, 2008)

The surface tension of liquids is measured in Newton per meter (Nm-1) and can be obtained
through various methods. The interfacial tension can be viewed as being products of different
intermolecular forces. The values obtained through sessile drop depend not only on the solid
samples in contact but also as a result of the properties of the probe liquids used.
The Zisman plot used for the determination of surface energy of the liquid is limited to single
parameter rather than accounting for the fact polar interactions may be encountered which greatly
may alter the calculations.(Zisman et al,1978)

Table 1:Surface tension of some experimental liquids (Van Oss and Giese,2002)
Surface Tension (mN/m) or
Liquid in contact with air Temperature (00C)
dyn/cm)
Benzene 20 28.9
Carbon tetrachloride 20 26.8
Ethanol 20 22.3
Glycerin 20 63.1
Mercury 20 465.0
Olive oil 20 32.0
Soap solution 20 25.0
Water 0 75.6
Water 20 72.8
Water 60 66.2
Water 100 58.9
Oxygen -193 15.7

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International Journal of Engineering Science and Advanced Technology

Neon -247 5.15

Helium -269 0.12

3.0 Mathematical concept for the interaction mechanism of coronavirus particles

Dupre introduced the work of adhesion wa and cohesion wc after the works of young. The
equations given by Dupre can be use to derive other parameters from the experimental contact
angle and surface tension result.(Dupree et al, 1988)
Considering the reversible process of bringing together two cylinders of a condensed-phase
material initially in vacuum, to form a continuous body, the free energy change per unit area is
the free energy of cohesion or the negative work of cohesion.
. -wc = -2γ =∆G (1)
iγi
i

Figure 2: Conceptual illustration of Cohesion Process

γij

γi

Fig 3: Conceptual illustration of Adhesion Process

Figure3 depicts a scenario of two unlike bodies in contact; the free energy per unit area is the free
energy of adhesion or the negative of the work of adhesion.
∆Gij=γ𝑖𝑗 - γ𝑖 - γ𝑗 = - Fadh (2)
∆Gij= γ𝑙𝑣 (1+cosθ) (3)
To obtain a measurable contact angle, γlv must be greater than γsv, therefore when γlv<γsv the
liquid forms no contact angle on the solid but spread and wet it completely. But when the solid
surface is in equilibrium with the liquid vapor, the reduction of the surface free energy of the solid
to the vapor adsorption is termed the equilibrium spreading pressure 𝜋𝑒 .
Then equation (3) becomes:
γ𝑙𝑣 cosθ=γ𝑠𝑣 - γ𝑠𝑙 + 𝜋𝑒 (4)
The spreading pressure S is a function of reduction in the value of free energy of the solid due to
adsorption of liquid vapor. The spreading coefficient is a measure of the difference in surface
energy between the dry solid and moist solid covered by microscopic film of liquid
S=γ𝑠 - (γ𝑠𝑙 +γ𝑙𝑣 ) (5)
The spreading work ws = γ𝑙𝑣 (cosθ – 1) (6)
Wetting tension T=F/P = γ𝑙𝑣 cosθ (7)

Particle-Particle Interaction
The total surface energy of solid and liquids depends on the different types of intermolecular
interaction e.g. dispersion, polar interaction, acid/base it is taker to be the sum of all these
Indifferent components.(Omenyi et al,2002)
γ𝑡𝑠 = γd + γab + γt + γ0 +γ p
dx
F

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International Journal of Engineering Science and Advanced Technology

Fig 4: Force application on a Surface

The workdone in moving a body along another surface by a distance dx
∂w = Fdx (8)
where F is force, l is width, γ is surface energy,
dw= γ dA (9)
𝑑𝑤 2
γ = 𝑑𝐴 where J/m is unit
Surface energy described as forces of attraction between similar particles in a liquid, it is a
function of van der waal force of attraction.
Aij = 12𝜋𝑑𝑜2 ∆𝐹𝑖𝑠 (do) (10)
For cohesive forces
∆fcoh = - 2γlv (11)

whereriv is the surface tension of the liquid

Aij = - 12𝜋𝑑𝑜2 - 2γlv (12)

Aij = 24 𝜋𝑑𝑜2 γsv (13)

𝐴𝑖𝑗
rsv= 24𝜆 𝑑 𝑜2
(14)
where do =1.82Angstrom, 𝐴𝑖𝑗 is the Hamaker costant
The free energy of adhesion between two different molecules (P and S) is expressed by
∆𝐹𝑝𝑠𝑎𝑑 ℎ 𝑑𝑜 = γ𝑝𝑠 − γ 𝑝𝑙 − γ𝑠𝑙 (15)
Whered is separation distance
Upon integration of a particle P on a solid S in a liquid medium L
∆𝐹𝑝𝑠𝑎𝑑 ℎ 𝑑𝑜 = γ𝑝𝑠 − γ 𝑝𝑙 − γ𝑠𝑙 (16)
For interaction between individual component as in the case of the virus and drug particles
suspended in the liquid medium(serum)

γlv Concept of Contact Angle

Mathematical

Ɣsl
Ө γsv
Fig 4 : Force diagram of Contact Angle
Considering a liquid drop resting on a surface fig 3.2, applying geometrically, a tangent line from
the contact point
γsv- γsl = γlv cos Ө (Youngs contact angle) (17)

γsv, γsl, γlv , Өrepresent solid vapour, solid liquid and liquid vapour interfacial tension and Ө is
contact angle.
From equation of state
γlv cos Ө = f (γlv, γsv) (18)

γsl = γsv– f (γlv, γsv ) = f”(γlv, γsv ) (19)

γsv − γsl
cos Ө = γlv = cos ӨY (20)
Where θy is the correction factor to young’s contact angle θ due to surface heterogeneity,
For a polar liquid such as glycerol
γsl = γsv + γlv - 2 γsv γlv (21)

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International Journal of Engineering Science and Advanced Technology

Substituting
2 𝑟𝑠𝑣
Ө = cos-1 −1 + (22)
γlv
Solving further for γsv yields
2
γlv cos Ө + γlv
γsv = 2
(23)

Equation (23) gives an adequate prediction of the cohesive forces between the particles of the
virus as it infuses itself into the human blood cells.
Conclusion
The mathematical model developed in this study summarizes the effect of the corona virus on
blood cells using the average contact angle as a means of determining their surface interactions.
It can be observed that infected samples have higher contact angles measured on the different
components of the blood when compared to the angles measured on the uninfected and the
treated samples. This is as a result of the presence of the virus on the infected surfaces which
creates barrier and promotes surface roughness and heterogenity thereby reducing the spreading
rate of the probe liquid. This in effect causes the surfaces to be poorly wetted (hydrophobic) by
the probe liquid. The higher values of contact angle signify poorly wet surfaces (Iweriolor,2019).
The surface energy of cohesion between the blood particles is reduced as soon as infection occurs
which is an indicative of the fact that the presence of virus infection on the samples has a
reduction effect on interfacial surface energy of the blood particles. The virus can be concluded to
have the capability of reducing the energy at the surface. Hence infected blood components have
low surface free energy and as such can be described as apolar surfaces characterized by poor
wetting abilities.

References
Achebe, C.H., Omenyi, S.N., Manafa, O.P., Okoli, D. (2012). HIV-blood
interactions; surface thermodynamics approach. Proceedings of the International
Conference of Engineers and Computer Scientist, Hong Kong

Iweriolor ,S and Achebe C.H.(2018)Surface Energetics Study and Determination of the

Combined Negative Hamaker Coefficient for Hepatitis C Virus Infected Human Blood Cell.
Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering. Vol. 11, (No. 11), pp: 307-319

Iweriolor S., Achebe C.H., Ani O.I.,(2020).Sessile Drop Approach to Surface Energy
Determination of Hepatitis C Virus Infected Blood Cells. Journal of Engineering and Applied
Sciences, Volume 17, Number 1, pp, 123-129.

Iweriolor,S.,(2019). Interaction Mechanism of Hepatitis C Virus and Blood Cells Treated

with Conventional Antiviral Drugs and Plants extract. PhD Thesis, Mechanical Engineering
Department, NnamdiAzikiwe University, Awka. Nigeria.

Omenyi, S.N., Newmann, A.W., Van Oss,C.J.,Absolom, D.R., Viser, J.(1980).

Advance colloid interface Sci. 18:133

Rullison, C.(2008). Comparison of different methods to measure contact angles of Soil colloids.
Journal of Colloids and Interface Science.328:299-307

Van Oss, C.J. and Giese, R.F. (2002).Colloids and surface properties of clay and related minerals,
New York.

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Yuan, Y. and Lee, R. (2013). Contact angle and wetting properties, University of Houston, Texas.
TX 77204-5003

Zismann, W.A. and Gould, R.F.(1978). Wettability and adhesion. Advances in Chemistry Series ,Vol
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