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Filling and wetting transitions at grooved substrates
1E Hála Laboratory of Thermodynamics, Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Academy of Sciences, 16502 Prague 6, Czech Republic. Department of Physical Chemistry, Institute of Chemical Technology, Prague, 166 28 Praha 6, Czech Republic.
Journal of Physics. Condensed Matter : an Institute of Physics Journal
|September 27, 2013
Summary
Fluid adsorption on grooved surfaces exhibits four distinct wetting states, including empty or filled grooves and mesoscopic caps. Surface geometry significantly influences these wetting morphologies and transitions.
Area of Science:
- Surface Science and Physical Chemistry
- Adsorption phenomena on structured materials
Background:
- Understanding fluid behavior on solid surfaces is crucial in various scientific and industrial applications.
- Grooved substrates introduce geometric complexity that can alter traditional wetting phenomena observed on flat surfaces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the wetting and filling properties of fluids adsorbed on solid grooved substrates.
- To explore the impact of groove geometry (periodicity, width) on fluid adsorption morphologies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized microscopic density functional theory (DFT) to model fluid-solid interactions.
- Simulated fluid particles interacting with a grooved solid slab via long-range dispersion forces.
- Analyzed the effects of varying groove and ridge dimensions on wetting behavior.
Main Results:
- Identified four distinct wetting states for saturated ambient gas: empty grooves, filled grooves, mesoscopic hemispherical caps, and a macroscopically wet surface.
- Demonstrated that the specific wetting morphology is highly sensitive to the substrate's geometric parameters.
- Observed that the transition between wetting regimes is dependent on model geometry and can occur off-coexistence.
Conclusions:
- The wetting behavior of fluids on grooved substrates is significantly more complex than on flat surfaces.
- The critical temperature for complete wetting on grooved surfaces is notably higher compared to flat surfaces.
- Substrate geometry is a key factor in controlling fluid adsorption and determining wetting states.
