Nanoscale fluid flows in the vicinity of patterned surfaces.

Molecular dynamics simulations of dense and rarefied fluids comprising small chain molecules in chemically patterned nanochannels predict a novel switching from Poiseuille to plug flow along the channel. We also demonstrate behavior akin to the lotus effect for a nanodrop on a chemically patterned substrate. Our results show that one can control and exploit the behavior of fluids at the nanoscale using chemical patterning.