Mechanism of Oil Detachment from a Silica Surface in Aqueous Surfactant Solutions: Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The mechanism of oil detachment from solid surfaces in aqueous surfactant solutions is studied by molecular dynamics simulations. At the initial simulation, the hydrophilic silica surface changes into a hydrophobic one due to the adsorption of the alkane molecules. Two-dimensional ordered arrangement of alkane molecules on the first layer is the key to the oil detachment from the silica surface. Upon addition of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) solution, the alkane molecules on the solid surface can be detached from a hydrophilic silica surface. Ultimately, the silica surface becomes hydrophilic, and the oil molecules are solubilized in the surfactant micelles. During the process of oil detachment, it is demonstrated that the formation of a water channel in the oil phase between the surfactant solution and the silica surface is vital for the oil detachment. Meanwhile, water molecules can penetrate the oil-water interface by diffusion and form the gel layer at the water-silica interface under the hydrogen-bonding and electrostatic interaction, in the close vicinity of the contact line. Both of these will accelerate the removal of the oil molecules from the silica surface under the surfactant solution. According to the energy and configurations with time evolution, one three-stage model of oil detachment from the silica surface is developed at the molecular level. The simulation results agree with the experimental phenomenon.