Adsorption of self-assembled rigid rods on two-dimensional lattices

LÓPEZ L. G.; RAMIREZ PASTOR A. J.

San Luis

Jornada; Segunda Jornada Anual de Investigación en Física (JAIFI II); 2013

Departamento de Física (UNSL)- INFAP- CONICET

Monte Carlo (MC) simulations have been carried out to study the adsorption of monomers that polymerize reversibly into chains with a discrete number of allowed directions (relative to substrate) and, at the same time, undergo a continuous isotropic-nematic (I-N) phase transition. The process has been monitored by following the behavior of the adsorption isotherms (chemical potential as a function of the surface coverage) for different values of lateral interaction energy/temperature. The numerical data were compared with mean field analytical predictions and exact functions for noninteracting and 1D systems. The obtained results revealed the existence of three adsorption regimes in temperature. In addition, phase diagrams were calculated from the singularities in the adsorption isotherms. Thus, the adsorption isotherms appear as sensitive quantities with respect to the I-N phase transition.