Interfacial tension in oil-water-surfactant systems: on the role of intra-molecular forces on interfacial tension values using DPD simulations.

We have computed interfacial tension in oil-water-surfactant model systems using dissipative particle dynamics (DPD) simulations. Oil and water molecules are modelled as single DPD beads, whereas surfactant molecules are composed of head and tail beads linked together by a harmonic potential to form a chain molecule. We have investigated the influence of the harmonic potential parameters, namely, the force constant K and the equilibrium distance r0, on the interfacial tension values.