A generating mechanism for apparent fluid slip in hydrophobic microchannels

Fluid slip has been observed experimentally in micro- and nanoscale flow devices by several investigators [e.g., Tretheway and Meinhart, Phys. Fluids 14, L9 (2002); Zhu and Granik, Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 096105 (2001); Pit et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 980 (2000); and Choi et al., Phys. Fluids 15, 2897 (2003)]. This paper examines a possible mechanism for the measured fluid slip, for water flowing over a hydrophobic surface. We extend the work of Lum et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B 103, 4570 (1999)], Zhu and Granick [Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 096105 (2001)], Granick et al. [Nature Materials 2, 221 (2003)], and de Gennes [Langmuir 18, 3413 (2002)], who suggest slip develops from a depleted water region or vapor layer near a hydrophobic surface. By modeling the presence of either a depleted water layer or nanobubbles as an effective air gap at the wall, we calculate slip lengths for flow between two infinite parallel plates. The calculated slip lengths are consistent with experimental values when the gas layer is modeled as a continuum and significantly higher when rarefied gas conditions are assumed. The results suggest that the apparent fluid slip observed experimentally at hydrophobic surfaces may arise from either the presence of nanobubbles or a layer of low density fluid at the surface. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.