Dissipative particle dynamics simulation of contact angle hysteresis on a patterned solid/air composite surface

Area of Science:

• Surface Science
• Materials Science
• Computational Physics

Background:

• Contact angle hysteresis is crucial for surface wettability.
• Understanding substrate topology impacts surface properties.
• Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) is a suitable method for studying nanoscale phenomena.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate contact angle hysteresis on continuous solid substrates (CSS) and discontinuous solid substrates (DSS).
• To compare the wettability characteristics of CSS and DSS using computational methods.
• To determine the optimal substrate type for creating ultrahydrophobic and ultralyophobic surfaces.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) simulations.
• Validated the DPD method for the studied system.
• Analyzed the distribution of metastable states on different substrate types.

Main Results:

• Discontinuous solid substrates (DSS) exhibit a different distribution of metastable states compared to continuous solid substrates (CSS).
• DSS show relatively larger contact angle hysteresis at lower temperatures.
• Continuous solid substrates (CSS) are more suitable for developing ultrahydrophobic or ultralyophobic surfaces based on dynamic wettability.

Conclusions:

• Substrate topology significantly influences contact angle hysteresis.
• Temperature plays a role in the wettability behavior of discontinuous solid substrates.
• Continuous solid substrates offer superior potential for designing advanced superhydrophobic surfaces.