A new scheme for perturbation contribution in density functional theory and application to solvation force and...

To surpass a traditional mean field density functional approximation for a perturbation term of interparticle potential function in liquid state, a correlation term is introduced by using weighted density approximation to deal with the perturbation free energy beyond the mean field one. Consequently, a free energy density functional approximation is advanced by combining the mean field term and correlation term with a hard sphere term treated with a Lagrangian theorem-based density functional approximation in the present work. The present free energy density functional approximation is applied in the framework of classical density functional theory (DFT) to a hard core attractive Yukawa (HCAY) fluid subject to external fields; comparison of the resulted predictions for density profiles with available simulation data is favorable for the present DFT approach as a highly accurate predictive approach. Then, the DFT approach is employed to investigate influencing factors for solvation forces between two infinite planar surfaces immersed in an intervening solvent with the HCAY potential function. It is found that (i) critical fluctuations induce negative adsorptions and long-ranged solvation forces; (ii) for narrow slit, the effect of external potential range is kept down; instead strength of the external field contact potential plays dominating role; (iii) state point in the bulk phase diagram, where the most remarkable critical effects are displayed, is the one with a bulk density a little higher than the critical density; remnants of critical fluctuations remain close to the bulk gas-liquid coexistence curve.