A study of the influence of an amphiphile monolayer on the structure of the supporting liquid

We report the results of self-consistent Monte Carlo simulations of the influence of a close packed monolayer of C20H41OH on the structure of the surface of liquid Cs. The monolayer enhances the stratification of the longitudinal density distribution of Cs in the interface by an amount which can be detected in an x-ray reflectivity experiment. The transverse correlation in the Cs surface is also influenced by the monolayer, but not to a great extent; the transverse ordering in the outermost layer of atoms is found to be somewhat stronger than in bulk liquid Cs. All of these effects of the monolayer on the structure of the supporting liquid are naturally explained in terms of the interatomic forces and electronic structure of the system.