title: Long-range critical wetting: observation of a critical end point.
abstract: Alkanes deposited on aqueous substrates exhibit two different types of wetting behavior: alternatively to the usual first-order wetting transition, a sequential-wetting scenario of a long-range critical wetting transition preceded by a first-order thin-thick transition may be observed. Here, we present the first successful experimental attempt to locate the transition point between the standard first-order wetting and the long-range critical wetting: a critical end point, observed in a mixture of pentane and hexane which is deposited on an aqueous solution of glucose. Furthermore, we present the first direct measurement of the contact angle in the intermediate wetting state (frustrated-complete wetting) in the sequential-wetting scenario of hexane on brine and compare to theoretical predictions.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Physique Statistique, 24 rue Lhomond, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France.
authors.forename: Salima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rafaï
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonn
authors.forename: Emanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bertrand
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meunier
authors.forename: Volker C
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Joseph O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Indekeu
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D005947:Glucose / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D014867:Water; D005947:Glucose