Surface Transitions for Confined Associating Mixtures

TL;DR

This paper uses Monte Carlo simulations to study how confinement affects the phase stability of binary mixtures with isotropic and hydrogen-bonding interactions, resolving a long-standing controversy.

Contribution

It demonstrates through simulations that confinement can both stabilize and destabilize the single phase, challenging previous theories.

Findings

Confinement can stabilize the single phase of mixtures.

Confinement can destabilize the single phase.

Results agree with experimental observations.

Abstract

Thin films of binary mixtures that interact through isotropic forces and directionally specific "hydrogen bonding" are considered through Monte Carlo simulations. We show, in good agreement with experiment, that the single phase of these mixtures can be stabilized or destabilized on confinement. These results resolve a long standing controversy, since previous theories suggest that confinement only stabilizes the single phase of fluid mixtures.