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The interaction of patterned solutes in binary solvent mixtures

TitleThe interaction of patterned solutes in binary solvent mixtures
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2006
AuthorsOverduin, SD, Patey, GN
JournalJournal of Chemical Physics
Volume124
Pagination11
Date PublishedMar
Type of ArticleArticle
ISBN Number0021-9606
KeywordsBRIDGE DIAGRAM SERIES, FLUID, HARD-SPHERES, HYDROPHOBIC SURFACES, LENNARD-JONES, LIQUID MIXTURES, MACROPARTICLES, PHASE-TRANSITION, RANGE, SPHERICALLY INHOMOGENEOUS FLUIDS, WATER
Abstract

Mean solute-solute forces and solute-induced solvent structure are investigated for pairs of chemically patterned (patched) solutes in binary mixtures near demixing coexistence. The isotropic and anisotropic hypernetted-chain integral equation theories as well as a superposition approximation are solved and compared. The patched solutes consist of one end that favors the majority species in the mixture while the other end favors the minority species. A wide range of patch sizes is considered. The isotropic and anisotropic theories are found to be in good agreement for most orientations, including the most attractive and most repulsive configurations. However, some differences arise for asymmetrical orientations where unlike ends of the solute particles face each other. In contrast, superposition often gives a rather poor approximation to the mean force, even though the results obtained for the solvent densities agree qualitatively with the anisotropic theory. The mean force is sensitive to small differences in the densities particularly near demixing. For patched solutes the influence of demixinglike behavior is evident both in the orientational dependence and in the range of the mean force acting between solutes. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

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