Particle-assisted wetting

• Published in: Journal of physics. Condensed matter Vol. 17; no. 9; pp. S465 - 476
• Main Authors: Xu, Hui, Yan, Feng, Tierno, Pietro, Marczewski, Dawid, Goedel, Werner A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bristol IOP Publishing 09.03.2005; Institute of Physics
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid surfaces and fluid-fluid interfaces; Physics; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Water; Adsorption; Interface energy; Fluid-fluid interfaces; Wetting; Hydrophobic compound; Contact angle; Particles; Contact line
• ISSN: 0953-8984; 1361-648X
• DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/17/9/012

Wetting of a solid surface by a liquid is dramatically impeded if either the solid or the liquid is decorated by particles. Here it is shown that in the case of contact between two liquids the opposite effect may occur; mixtures of a hydrophobic liquid and suitable particles form wetting layers on a water surface though the liquid alone is non-wetting. In these wetting layers, the particles adsorb to, and partially penetrate through, the liquid/air and/or the liquid/water interface. This formation of wetting layers can be explained by the reduction in total interfacial energy due to the replacement of part of the fluid/fluid interfaces by the particles. It is most prominent if the contact angles at the fluid/fluid/particle contact lines are close to 90 deg .