Linactants: surfactant analogues in two dimensions.
We report a new class of molecules, linactants, that partition at phase boundaries and reduce the line tension between coexisting two-dimensional phases in molecular monolayers. The line tension between hydrocarbon-rich and fluorocarbon-rich phases was determined by monitoring the relaxation kinetics of deformed domains. Two partially fluorinated linactant molecules (with one and two tails, respectively) were synthesized and tested; the more efficient single-tail variant reduced the line tension by more than 20% at a mole fraction of only 8 x 10(-4).
Trabelsi
Siwar
S
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0424, USA.
Zhang
Shishan
S
Lee
T Randall
TR
Schwartz
Daniel K
DK