Mesoscopic Approach for Disjoining Pressure Effects in Nanoscale Thin Liquid Films on Nanostructured Surfaces

Area of Science:

• Surface science and nanotechnology
• Fluid dynamics and heat transfer

Background:

• Nanoscale thin liquid films are crucial in nature and industry.
• Disjoining pressure significantly impacts film behavior, especially evaporation and morphology.
• Current theories inadequately describe disjoining pressure on nanostructured surfaces.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a mesoscopic model for disjoining pressure in nanoscale liquid films on nanostructured substrates.
• To investigate the interplay between surface tension and disjoining pressure on film morphology.
• To provide insights into Hamaker constants for nanostructured surfaces and analyze film stability.

Main Methods:

• A mesoscopic model was proposed, discretizing long-range solid-fluid interactions on a high-order lattice.
• The model was validated using both isothermal and nonisothermal systems.
• The model's capability to capture disjoining pressure effects on smooth and nanostructured surfaces was demonstrated.

Main Results:

• The model successfully captures disjoining pressure effects on both smooth and nanostructured surfaces.
• The study reveals the critical interplay between surface tension and disjoining pressure in determining thin film morphology.
• Insights into Hamaker constants of nanostructured surfaces and a comprehensive stability analysis were provided.

Conclusions:

• The developed mesoscopic model is a versatile tool for studying nanoscale liquid films on nanostructured surfaces.
• This work advances the understanding of microscale mechanisms in liquid-vapor phase change.
• The findings can optimize heat and mass transfer in nanoscale systems.