title: Experimental three-dimensional description of the liquid hexadecane/graphite interface.
abstract: By using an atomic force microscope based on a quartz tuning fork sensor, a 3-dimensional description of the interface between liquid hexadecane and a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite surface can be achieved at room temperature. The C16H34 monolayer in contact with the substrate surface exhibits a lamellar structure whereas no observation at the liquid/graphite interface by scanning tunnelling microscopy was reported for this alkane. The second layer shows very weak corrugations corresponding to lamella boundaries. Force/distance curves show at least four oscillations separated by 0.4 nm except for the first period with a 0.38 nm distance that corresponds to the layer closer the substrate. Such a description agrees well with molecular dynamics results obtained on alkane/solid interfaces.
authors.affiliation: CEA-Saclay, bat. 462, F-91191 Gif sur Yvette Cedex, France.
authors.forename: L Pham
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Van
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kyrylyuk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Polesel-Maris
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thoyer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lubin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cousty
mesh_terms: D000473:Alkanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004566:Electrodes; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force; D016252:Microscopy, Scanning Tunneling; D011791:Quartz; D013499:Surface Properties; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D000473:Alkanes; D008567:Membranes, Artificial; D011791:Quartz; D006108:Graphite; C007932:n-hexadecane