Water in contact with extended hydrophobic surfaces: direct evidence of weak dewetting.
X-ray reflectivity measurements reveal a significant dewetting of a large hydrophobic paraffin surface floating on water. The dewetting phenomenon extends less than 15 A into the bulk water phase and results in an integrated density deficit of about one water molecule per 25-30 A(2) of water in contact with the paraffin surface. The results are supported by molecular dynamics simulations and related to the hydrophobic effect.
Jensen
Torben R
TR
Materials Research Department, Risø National Laboratory, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
Østergaard Jensen
Morten
M
Reitzel
Niels
N
Balashev
Konstantin
K
Peters
Günther H
GH
Kjaer
Kristian
K
Bjørnholm
Thomas
T
D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D010232:Paraffin / Q000737:chemistry*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D017155:Wettability; D014965:X-Rays
D014867:Water; D010232:Paraffin