Influence of hydrodynamic interactions on stratification in drying mixtures

Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations are used to investigate the influence of hydrodynamic interactions on vertical segregation (stratification) in drying mixtures of long and short polymer chains. In agreement with previous computer simulations and theoretical modeling, the short polymers stratify on top of the long polymers at the top of the drying film when hydrodynamic interactions between polymers are neglected. However, no stratification occurs at the same drying conditions when hydrodynamic interactions are incorporated through an explicit solvent model. Our analysis demonstrates that models lacking hydrodynamic interactions do not faithfully represent stratification in drying mixtures, in agreement with recent analysis of an idealized model for diffusiophoresis, and must be incorporated into such models in future.