A microscopic model for the heteromolecular theory of nucleation

We have extended the microscopic model of homogeneous nucleation to the heteromolecular case. This model, interacting clusters and heteroclusters (ICH), consists of a distribution of heteroclusters and clusters. The interaction between monomers, cluster–monomer, heterocluster–monomer, and heterocluster–heterocluster are taken into account. The method of correlation functions is extended so that configuration integral of the ICH model can be calculated. The concentration of heteroclusters is derived in terms of microscopic quantities. In the limit of no interaction between clusters and heteroclusters, the heterocluster concentration is expressed in terms of monomer concentration, the chemical potential of monomers, and the internal free energy of a heterocluster. In this limit the heterocluster concentration may also be expressed in terms of the total number of ions and the internal free energy of heteroclusters. The formation energy of a heterocluster is calculated.