From hydration repulsion to dry adhesion between asymmetric hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces.

ABSTRACT: Using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations at constant water chemical potential in combination with basic theoretical arguments, we study hydration-induced interactions between two overall charge-neutral yet polar planar surfaces with different wetting properties. Whether the water film between the two surfaces becomes unstable below a threshold separation and cavitation gives rise to long-range attraction, depends on the sum of the two individual surface contact angles. Consequently, cavitation-induced attraction also occurs for a mildly hydrophilic surface interacting with a very hydrophobic surface. If both surfaces are very hydrophilic, hydration repulsion dominates at small separations and direct attractive force contribution can-if strong enough-give rise to wet adhesion in t

SUBMITTER: Kanduc M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4603451 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature