Surface-induced melting of small particles

A surface effect on the behavior of solid-liquid phase transition is studied, considering the system of a small particle. We calculate the dependence of melting temperature of a small particle on the surface curvature. We show that taking account of the effect of the curvature is essential in understanding the melting process of small particles, in particular when their radii are of the order of nanometer. The observed non-linear relationship between the melting point and the reciprocal of the radius can be explained satisfactorily by our theoretical model.