Strekalova, Elena G.Mazza, Marco G.Stanley, H. Eugene (Harry Eugene), 1941-Franzese, Giancarlo2019-07-232019-07-232011-04-070031-9007https://hdl.handle.net/2445/138021Using Monte Carlo simulations, we study a coarse-grained model of a water layer confined in a fixed disordered matrix of hydrophobic nanoparticles at different particle concentrations c . For c = 0 , we find a first-order liquid-liquid phase transition (LLPT) ending in one critical point at low pressure P . For c > 0 , our simulations are consistent with a LLPT line ending in two critical points at low and high P . For c = 25 % , at high P and low temperature, we find a dramatic decrease of compressibility, thermal expansion coefficient, and specific heat. Surprisingly, the effect is present also for c as low as 2.4%. We conclude that even a small presence of hydrophobic nanoparticles can drastically suppress thermodynamic fluctuations, making the detection of the LLPT more difficult.4 p.application/pdfeng(c) American Physical Society, 2011Física de partículesNanopartículesParticle physicsNanoparticlesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/article5808732019-07-23info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess