Fluctuations and Adsorption at Liquid-Vapor Interfaces

The adsorption of a molecule at the liquid-vapor interface is a complex phenomenon that is influenced by several processes occurring at the molecular scale. In this chapter, we focus on the role of density fluctuations at liquid-vapor interfaces. We first explain the characteristics of such fluctuations and the properties that are used to study them. We then discuss the contribution of fluctuations to the free energy change associated with adsorption. The emphasis is on the quantification of such contributions by using the properties obtained from molecular simulations. This chapter does not require advanced knowledge of statistical mechanics and use simplified models and suitable assumptions to explain the contents.