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The structure and the interaction potential of monolayers of charged polystyrene microparticles at fluid interfaces have been studied by optical microscopy. Microparticles of different sizes have been studied over a broad range of surface particle densities. The structural characterization is based on the analysis of images obtained by digital optical microscopy. From the experimental images, radial distribution functions, hexagonal bond order correlation functions, and temporal orientational correlation functions have been calculated for different monolayer states at both the air/water and oil/water interfaces. The interaction potential has been calculated from the structure factor using integral equations within the hypernetted chain closure relationship. For particles trapped at the oil-water interface, it was found that, upon increasing the surface coverage, a freezing transition occurs, that leads to the formation of a 2D crystalline structure. We have studied the freezing densities of particle monolayers at the oil/water interface and compared them with Monte Carlo simulation results reported by H. Löwen. In contrast, at the air-water interface, freezing is inhibited due to the formation of particle aggregates.

In order to simulate the diffusion kinetics during thermal treatments in SiGe heterostructures, a physically-based atomistic model including chemical and strain effects has been developed and implemented into a nonlattice atomistic kinetic monte carlo (KMC) framework. This model is based on the description of transport capacities of native point defects (interstitials and vacancies) with different charge states in SiGe alloys in the whole composition range. Lattice atom diffusivities have been formulated in terms of point defect transport, taking into account the different probability to move Si and Ge atoms. Strain effects have been assessed for biaxial geometries including strain-induced anisotropic diffusion, as well as charge effects due to strain-induced modifications of the electronic properties. Si-Ge interdiffusion in heterostructures has been analyzed from an atomistic perspective. A limited set of physical parameters have been defined, being consistent with previously reported ab initio calculations and experiments. The model has been implemented into a nonlattice KMC simulator and the relevant implementation details and algorithms are described. In particular, an efficient point defect mediated Si-Ge exchange algorithm for interdiffusion is reported. A representative set of simulated interdiffusion profiles are shown, exhibiting good agreement with experiments.

The hydrogen bonds involving sulfur in the furfuryl mercaptan monohydrate are compared with the interactions originating from the hydroxyl group in furfuryl alcohol. The dimers with water were created in a supersonic jet expansion and characterized using microwave spectroscopy and supporting molecular orbital calculations. In furfuryl alcohol-water, a single isomer is observed, in which the water molecule forms an insertion complex with two simultaneous hydrogen bonds to the alcohol (O-H⋅⋅⋅O ) and the ring oxygen (O -H⋅⋅⋅O ). When the alcohol is replaced by a thiol group in furfuryl mercaptan-water, two isomers are observed, with the thiol group preferentially behaving as proton donor to water. The first isomer is topologically equivalent to the alcohol analog but the stronger hydrogen bond is now established by water and the ring oxygen, assisted by a thiol S-H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bond. In the second isomer the sulfur group accepts a proton from water, forming a O -H⋅⋅⋅S hydrogen bond. Binding energies for the mercaptan-water dimer are predicted around 12 kJ mol weaker than in the alcohol hydrate (B3LYP-D3(BJ)). The non-covalent interactions in the furfuryl dimers are dominantly electrostatic according to a SAPT(0) energy decomposition, but with increasing dispersion components in the mercaptan dimers, which are larger for the isomer with the weaker O -H⋅⋅⋅S interaction.

We have studied the dispersion of capillary waves on the surface of aqueous solutions of the cationic surfactant dodecylammonium chloride (DAC) by using surface quasi-elastic light scattering (SQELS) combined with equilibrium surface tension measurements. To test the role of electrostatics on the dynamical behavior of the adsorbed surfactant monolayer at the air/solution interface, experiments in absence and presence of an inert electrolyte (KCl) have been performed. The equilibrium results have been analyzed in terms of the FrumkinDavies equation of state. For the salt-free system, the Lucassen-van den Tempel model describes the dilational viscoelasticity results provided that the effects of adsorption barrier are accounted for. In contrast, when inert electrolyte is added, the viscoelastic behavior is anomalous, and negative apparent dilational viscosities are obtained. A new dispersion equation is proposed that accounts for internal coupling between capillary and dilational modes and leads to nonanomalous dilational viscosities.