2020/06/03 by Jørgen Høgberget, Høgberget, Jørgen, Anja Røyne +5
Chemistry · Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Physical and Chemical Molecular Interactions #Chemical and Physical Properties of Materials #FOS: Physical sciences #Force Microscopy Techniques and Applications #Molecular Junctions and Nanostructures #Scientific Research and Discoveries #Soft Condensed Matter (cond-mat.soft) #Surface Chemistry and Catalysis
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2006.02129
openalex publication_date 2020/06/03 · openalex created_date 2022/07/26 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We derive a Kinetic Monte Carlo model for studying how contacts form between\nconfined surfaces in an ideal solution. The model incorporates repulsive and\nattractive surface-surface forces between a periodic (2+1)-dimensional\nsolid-on-solid (SOS) crystal surface and a confining flat surface. The\nrepulsive interaction is derived from the theory of electric double-layers, and\nthe attractive interactions are Van der Waals interactions between particles on\nthe SOS surface and the confining surface. The confinement is induced by a\nconstant external pressure normal to the surfaces which is in mechanical\nequilibrium with the surface-surface forces. The system is in thermal\nequilibrium, and particles can deposit to and dissolve from the SOS surface.\nThe size of stable contacts formed between the surfaces in chemical equilibrium\nshow a non-trivial dependency on the external pressure which is\nphenomenologically similar to the dependency of oscillatory hydration forces on\nthe surface-surface separation. As contacts form we find classical phenomena\nsuch as Ostwald ripening, coalescence, and primary and secondary nucleation\nstages. We find contacts shaped as islands, bands or pits, depending solely on\nthe contact size relative to the system size. We also find the model to behave\nwell out of chemical equilibrium. The model is relevant for understanding\nprocesses where the force of crystallization and pressure solution are key\nmechanisms.\n