Estimation of the available surface and the jamming coverage in the Random Sequential Adsorption of a binary mixture of disks

Two-stage random sequential adsorption of discorectangles and disks on a two-dimensional surface

The different variants of two-stage random sequential adsorption (RSA) models for packing of disks and discorectangles on a two-dimensional (2D) surface were investigated. In the SD (sticks+disks) model, the discorectangles were first deposited and then the disks were added. In the DS (disks+sticks) model, the disks were first deposited and then discorectangles were added. At the first stage the particles were deposited up to the selected concentration and at the final (second) stage the particles were deposited up to the saturated (jamming) state. The main parameters of the models were the concentration of particles deposited at the first stage, aspect ratio of the discorectangles ɛ (length to diameter of ratio ɛ=l/d) and disk diameter D. All distances were measured using the value of d as a unit of measurement of linear dimensions, the disk diameter was varied in the interval D∈[1-10], and the aspect ratio value was varied in the interval ɛ∈[1-50]. The dependencies of the jamming coverage of particles deposited at the second stage versus the parameters of the models were analyzed. The presence of first deposited particles for both models regulated the maximum possible disk diameter D_{max} (SD model) or the maximum aspect ratio ɛ_{max} (DS model). This behavior was explained by the deposition of particles in the second stage into triangular (SD model) or elongated (DS model) pores formed by particles deposited at the first stage. The percolation connectivity of disks (SD model) and discorectangles (DS model) for the particles with a hard core and a soft shell structure was analyzed. The disconnectedness was ensured by overlapping of soft shells. The dependencies of connectivity versus the parameters of SD and DS models were also analyzed.

Adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic properties of a binary mixture of hard-core particles on a square lattice

The adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic properties of a binary mixture on a square lattice are studied using the random sequential adsorption with surface diffusion (RSAD). We compare the adsorption of binary species with different equilibrium rate constants and effective rates of adsorption to a surface and find that the temporal evolution of surface coverages of both species can be obtained through the use of the blocking function of a system with irreversible adsorption of highly diffusive particles. Binary mixtures, when one of the components follows the random sequential adsorption (RSA) without surface diffusion and the other follows the RSAD model, display competitive adsorption in addition to cooperative phenomena. Specifically, (i) species replacement occurs over a long period of time, while the total coverage remains unchanged after a short time, (ii) the presence of the RSAD component shifts the jamming coverage to the higher values, and (iii) the maximum jamming coverage is obtained when the effective adsorption of the RSA type components is lower than the other adsorbing particles.

Brownian dynamics simulation of monolayer formation by deposition of colloidal particles: a kinetic study at high bulk particle concentration

Brownian dynamics simulations (BDS) of sedimentation and irreversible adsorption of colloidal particles on a planar surface were carried out at bulk particle volume fractions (φ) in the range 0.05 to 0.25. The sedimentation and adsorption of colloidal particles were simulated as a non-sequential process that allows simultaneous settling and adsorption of particles. A kinetic model for the formation of particle monolayers based on the available surface fraction (θ(A)) is proposed to predict simulation results. The simulations show a value of 0.625 for the maximum fractional surface coverage (θ(∞)) and a monolayer structure insensitive to φ. However, the kinetic order of the monolayer formation process has a strong dependence with φ, changing from a value close to a unit, at low φ, to a value around two at high φ. This change in the kinetic reaction order is associated to differences of particle adsorption mechanism on the surface. At low φ values, the monolayer formation is achieved by independent adsorption of single particles and the reaction order is close to 1. At high φ values, the simultaneous adsorption of two particles on the surface leads to an increase of the reaction order to values close to 2.

Headgroup and hydrocarbon tail effects on the surface tension of sugar-based surfactant solutions

Measurements of surface tension isotherms were conducted for water solutions of pure and mixed n-decyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside (C(10)-Glu) and n-decyl-beta-d-maltopyranoside (C(10)-Mal) surfactants. By applying the Gibbs surface tension equation, the surface densities of Glu and Mal were derived for different compositions and concentrations. The surface fractions were compared with theoretically calculated values where the headgroups were modeled as hard disks. Satisfactory agreement was found for hard-disk sizes of 22.9 and 11.3 A(2) in the case of a 1:1 mixture. The results of the hard-disk calculations were employed to estimate the configurational free energy of the n-decyl-hydrocarbon chain. The results obtained agree well with previous calculations for the n-dodecyl chain. Comparison with n-dodecyl beta-d-maltopyranoside (C(12)-Mal) indicated a further contribution, with the longer hydrocarbon chain giving rise to a higher surface tension in good agreement with data for hydrocarbon liquids. Furthermore, the interpenetration of the headgroup into the hydrocarbon film was studied by means of comparing surface-tension data for n-decyl- and n-dodecyl-ethylene-oxide-based surfactants and n-decyl- and n-dodecyl-beta-d-thiomaltopyranosides (C(10)-S-Mal and C(12)-S-Mal, respectively) and -maltopyranosides. It was found that lengthening the tetra(etylene oxide) chain by one segment affects the surface tension only marginally, indicating little interpenetration of the additional ethylene-oxide group into the hydrocarbon film. For the thiomaltosides, however, the corresponding effect was found to be remarkably high.