Thermal stability of Ag, Al, Sn, Pb, and Hg films reinforced by 2D (C, Si) crystals and the formation of interfacial fluid states in them upon heating. MD experiment

Abstract

Molecular dynamics simulation is used to study the thermal stability of the interfacial states of metallic Al, Ag, Sn, Pb, and Hg films (i.e., the structural elements of superconductor composites and conducting electrodes) reinforced by 2D graphene and silicene crystals upon heating up to disordering and to analyze the formation of nonautonomous fluid pseudophases in interfaces. The effect of perforation defects in reinforcing 2D–C and 2D–Si planes with passivated edge covalent bonds on the atomic dynamics is investigated. As compared to Al and Ag, the diffusion coefficients in Pd and Hg films increase monotonically with temperature during thermally activated disordering processes, the interatomic distances decrease, the sizes decrease, drops form, and their density profile grows along the normal. The coagulation of Pb and Hg drops is accompanied by a decrease in the contact angle, the reduction of the interface contact with graphene, and the enhancement of its corrugation (waviness).