Journal of Chemical Physics, Vol.104, No.5, 2101-2113, 1996
Molecular-Dynamics Studies of Langmuir Monolayers of F(Cf2)(11)COOH
We report the results of molecular dynamics simulations of close-packed Langmuir monolayers of F(CF2)(11)COOH using both a united atom model and a new anisotropic united atom model of the molecular force field. The stimulus for this investigation was the interpretation of the data from a recent grazing incidence x-ray diffraction study of this system [M:. Goldmann et al., J. Phys. II France 4, 773 (1994)] to imply the existence of some degree of azimuthal ordering of the molecules in the close packed monolayer. With our new potential field, simulations at 275 K generate a monolayer in an azimuthally disordered rotator phase, while simulations at 150 K generate a monolayer phase with weak azimuthal order. We find that the relative intensities of peaks in the in-plane structure function can be used to distinguish between azimuthally ordered and disordered phases of the monolayer. Our simulation results are consistent with the available experimental data except for the temperature at which azimuthal ordering is detected, which difference is likely due to the inaccuracy of the intermolecular potential used in the simulations.
Keywords:PERFLUORO-N-EICOSANE;X-RAY-DIFFRACTION;MONTE-CARLO SIMULATION;LONG-CHAIN MOLECULES;FLUORINATED AMPHIPHILES;SUPPORTED MONOLAYERS;PHASE-TRANSITIONS;BEHAVIOR;ALKANES;PARAFFINS