title: Water in contact with extended hydrophobic surfaces: direct evidence of weak dewetting.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Materials Research Department, Risø National Laboratory, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: Torben R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.forename: Morten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Østergaard Jensen
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Reitzel
authors.forename: Konstantin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Balashev
authors.forename: Günther H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.forename: Kristian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kjaer
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bjørnholm
mesh_terms: D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D010232:Paraffin / Q000737:chemistry*; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D013499:Surface Properties; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D017155:Wettability; D014965:X-Rays
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D010232:Paraffin