Long-range attractive force between hydrophobic surfaces observed by atomic force microscopy.

Tsao, Y H; Evans, D F; Wennerström, H · Science · 1993

basic_science · Level V

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Abstract

There is evidence from atomic force microscopy for a long-range attractive force between hydrophobic surfaces that is virtually identical to that observed with the surface forces apparatus. This force is present in the nonaqueous solvent ethylene glycol. A possible molecular mechanism involves in-plane polarized domains of solid-like monolayers adsorbed on mica, and a theoretical model has been developed that accounts for many of the observations.

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