Fluids of platelike particles near a hard wall

Fluids consisting of hard platelike particles near a hard wall are investigated using density-functional theory. The density and orientational profiles, as well as the surface tension and the excess coverage, are determined and compared with those of a fluid of rodlike particles. Even for low densities, slight orientational packing effects are found for the platelet fluid due to larger intermolecular interactions between platelets as compared with those between rods. A net depletion of platelets near the wall is exhibited by the excess coverage, whereas a change of sign of the excess coverage of hard-rod fluids is found upon increasing the bulk density.