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Molecular dynamics study of nanodroplet diffusion on smooth solid surfaces

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Abstract

We perform molecular dynamics simulations of Lennard–Jones particles in a canonical ensemble to study the diffusion of nanodroplets on smooth solid surfaces. Using the droplet-surface interaction to realize a hydrophilic or hydrophobic surface and calculating the mean square displacement of the center-of-mass of the nanodroplets, the random motion of nanodroplets could be characterized by shorttime subdiffusion, intermediate-time superdiffusion, and long-time normal diffusion. The short-time subdiffusive exponent increases and almost reaches unity (normal diffusion) with decreasing droplet size or enhancing hydrophobicity. The diffusion coefficient of the droplet on hydrophobic surfaces is larger than that on hydrophilic surfaces.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11675008 and 21434001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center of Soft Matter Physics and its Applications, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China

    Zhao-Xia Niu, Tao Huang & Yong Chen

  2. School of Physics and Nuclear Energy Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China

    Zhao-Xia Niu & Yong Chen

  3. Institute of Theoretical Physics, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Tao Huang

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  1. Zhao-Xia Niu
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Correspondence to Yong Chen.

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Niu, ZX., Huang, T. & Chen, Y. Molecular dynamics study of nanodroplet diffusion on smooth solid surfaces. Front. Phys. 13, 137804 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0772-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11467-018-0772-4

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