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Rational design of monolayers for improved water evaporation mitigation
journal contribution
posted on 2012-12-05, 00:00 authored by Emma PrimeEmma Prime, D N H Tran, M Plazzer, D Sunartio, A H M Leung, G Yiapanis, S Baoukina, I Yarovsky, G G Qiao, D H SolomonSeven chemically designed monolayer compounds were synthesized and investigated with comparison to the properties and water evaporation suppression ability of 1-hexadecanol and 1-octadecanol. Increasing the molecular weight and polarity of the compound headgroup drastically altered the characteristics and performance of the monolayer at the air/water interface. Contrary to the common expectation the monolayer's lifetime on the water surface decreased with increasing number of ethylene oxy moieties, thus optimal performance for water evaporation suppression was achieved when only one ethylene oxy moiety was used. Replacing the hydroxyl headgroup with a methyl group and with multiple ethylene oxy moieties resulted in a loss of suppression capability, while an additional hydroxyl group provided a molecule with limited performance against water evaporation. Theoretical molecular simulation demonstrated that for exceptional performance, a candidate needs to possess a high equilibrium spreading pressure, the ability to sustain a highly ordered monolayer with a stable isotherm curve, and low tilt angle over the full studied range of surface pressures by simultaneously maintaining H-bonding to the water surface and between the monolayer chains.
History
Journal
Colloids and surfaces A: physicochemical and engineering aspectsVolume
415Pagination
47 - 58Publisher
ElsevierLocation
Amsterdam, The NetherlandsPublisher DOI
ISSN
0927-7757eISSN
1873-4359Language
engPublication classification
C Journal article; C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2012, ElsevierUsage metrics
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