Free planar isotropic-nematic interfaces in binary hard-rod fluids.
Within the Onsager theory we study free planar isotropic-nematic interfaces in binary mixtures of hard rods. For sufficiently different particle shapes the bulk phase diagrams of these mixtures exhibit a triple point, where an isotropic (I) phase coexists with two nematic phases (N1 and N2) of different composition. For all explored mixtures we find that upon approach of the triple point the I-N2 interface shows complete wetting by an intervening N1 film. We compute the surface tensions of isotropic-nematic interfaces, and find a remarkable increase with fractionation, similar to the effect in polydisperse hard-rod fluids.
Shundyak
Kostya
K
Institute for Theoretical Physics, Utrecht University, Leuvenlaan 4, 3584 CE Utrecht, The Netherlands.
van Roij
René
R