Effects of wettability and interfacial nanobubbles on flow through structured nanochannels: an investigation of molecular dynamics

Abstract

Solid–fluid boundary conditions are strongly influenced by a number of factors, including the intrinsic properties of the solid/fluid materials, surface roughness, wettability, and the presence of interfacial nanobubbles (INBs). The interconnected nature of these factors means that they should be considered jointly. This paper employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulation in a series of studies aimed at elucidating the influence of wettability in boundary behaviour and the accumulation of interfacial gas. Specifically, we examined the relationship between effective slip length, the morphology of nanobubbles, and wettability. Two methods were employed for the promotion of hydrophobicity between two structured substrates with similar intrinsic contact angles. We also compared anisotropic and isotropic atomic arrangements in the form of graphite and Si(100), respectively. A physical method was employed to deal with variations in surface roughness, whereas a chemical method was used to adjust the wall–fluid interaction energy (ϵwf). We first compared the characteristic properties of wettability, including contact angle and fluid density within the cavity. We then investigated the means by which variations in solid–fluid interfacial wettability affect interfacial gas molecules. Our results reveal that the morphology of INB on a patterned substrate is determined by wettability as well as the methods employed for the promotion of hydrophobicity. The present study also illustrates the means by which the multiple effects of the atomic arrangement of solids, surface roughness, wettability and INB influence effective slip length.