Hard rectangles near curved hard walls: tuning the sign of the Tolman length

Abstract

Combining analytic calculations, computer simulations, and classical density functional theory we determine the interfacial tension of orientable two-dimensional hard rectangles near a curved hard wall. Both a circular cavity holding the particles and a hard circular obstacle surrounded by particles are considered. We focus on moderate bulk densities (corresponding to area fractions up to 50 percent) where the bulk phase is isotropic and vary the aspect ratio of the rectangles and the curvature of the wall. The Tolman length, which gives the leading curvature correction of the interfacial tension, is found to change sign at a finite density, which can be tuned via the aspect ratio of the rectangles.

15 pages, 6 figures

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Cited by in corpus (2)

• Phase diagram of two-dimensional hard rods from fundamental mixed measure density functional theory
• When does Wenzel's extension of Young's equation for the contact angle of droplets apply? A density functional study