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arXiv · 1006.4620

How water meets a very hydrophobic surface

Sudeshna Chattopadhyay·Ahmet Uysal·Benjamin Stripe·Young-geun Ha·Tobin J. Marks·Evguenia A. Karapetrova·Pulak Dutta
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Abstract

Is there a low-density region ('gap') between water and a hydrophobic surface? Previous X-ray/neutron reflectivity results have been inconsistent because the effect (if any) is sub-resolution for the surfaces studied. We have used X-ray reflectivity to probe the interface between water and more hydrophobic smooth surfaces. The depleted region width increases with contact angle and becomes larger than the resolution, allowing definitive measurements. Large fluctuations are predicted at this interface; however, we find that their contribution to the interface roughness is too small to measure.

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Sudeshna Chattopadhyay, Ahmet Uysal, Benjamin Stripe, Young-geun Ha, Tobin J. Marks, Evguenia A. Karapetrova, Pulak Dutta. 2010-06-23. How water meets a very hydrophobic surface. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.105.037803

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