Transient evaporation of water thin film over nanostructured graphene

The role of interfacial thermal (Kapitza) resistance on the heated evaporation rates of water thin films over nanostructured graphene-coated surfaces is investigated. The Kapitza resistance between graphene and water, when the graphene flakes are parallel (φ = 0°) and perpendicular (φ = 90°) to the interface, are calculated using molecular dynamics simulations. The hydrophilicity of graphene when φ = 0° leads to enhanced liquid layering adjacent to the surface resulting in a lower Kapitza resistance relative to the φ = 90° case. The predicted evaporation rate on φ = 0° surface is relatively higher than for the φ = 90° surface due to an enhanced heat transfer between the substrate and water thin film. Results from our simulation aid in understanding the role of Kapitza resistance on heated evaporation rates, and suggest a possibility of engineering interfaces with tunable evaporation rates using nanostructured graphene coating.