title: Linactants: surfactant analogues in two dimensions.
abstract: 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).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0424, USA.
authors.forename: Siwar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Trabelsi
authors.forename: Shishan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: T Randall
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Daniel K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Schwartz