Bulk and boundary effects in a one-dimensional water-like fluid

Sites of a one-dimensional lattice may be either vacant or occupied by molecules with two orientational states, a ‘monomer’ state taking up one site and a ‘dimer’ state taking up two sites. There is a nearest-neighbour energy — ε for all molecules and an additional bonding energy — ω for adjacent dimers. Hence low temperatures and pressures favour an open structure with molecules predominantly in the dimer state. Bulk behaviour is investigated by both matrix and combinatorial methods and maxima in density isobars and minima in isothermal compressibility curves are found at certain parameter values. These are anomalous properties similar to those occurring in fluid water.

Boundary effects in a chain with end sites are calculated by matrix methods for several types of boundary condition. The effect on the open structure is measured by the change in the number of dimer-dimer bonds due to the presence of the boundary. For a ‘structure-breaking’ boundary, which forces the adjacent molecule into the monomer state, occupation probabilities near the boundary are compared with bulk values. It is concluded that boundary effects in the fluid are confined to the first few layers of molecules.