Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 26, 2025

Proof-of-Concept for Gas-Entrapping Membranes Derived from Water-Loving SiO2/Si/SiO2 Wafers for Green Desalination
Published on: March 1, 2020
Hydrophobic Membrane Wettability: Effects of Salinity and Temperature
1Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA.
Abstract:
In this study, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to investigate the effects of salinity (NaCl) and temperature (25 °C and 80 °C) on the wettability of droplets on a realistically modeled hydrophobic PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) surface. Droplet sizes of 20, 25, and 30 nm were analyzed using both pure water and 8.45% NaCl solutions. The results indicated that salinity increased the contact angles, strengthening the PTFE's hydrophobicity by disrupting the water's hydrogen bonding at the interface and reducing the spreading area. Higher temperatures also led to an increase in contact angles by decreasing water structuring, although this effect was less pronounced than that of salinity. Ion concentration analysis revealed that a significant number of ions migrated away from the PTFE surface, a phenomenon further clarified through radial distribution function (RDF) analysis.
Related Concept Videos
Membrane Fluidity
Entropy and Solvation
Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Responses to Salt Stress
Comparing Intermolecular Forces: Melting Point, Boiling Point, and Miscibility
Temporary attractive forces like dispersion are present in all molecules, whether they are polar or nonpolar. They...
Solubility Equilibria: Ionic Product of Water
The ionic product of water varies with temperature, and its value is 1.0 x 10−14 at standard experimental conditions. Per Le...

