Modification of black film hydration by infrared irradiation

The hydration of black films is an essential parameter which governs their structure. We present a new method to modify their water core using IR irradiation. The absorption of IR by water increases the film temperature and induces reversible processes changing the film thickness. These film modifications are controlled using X-ray reflectivity during irradiation. In Newton black films where the aqueous core is reduced to a hydration layer, IR provokes evaporation of the bonded water through the hydrophobic chain walls. In common black films containing liquid water, IR induces more complex hydrodynamic processes.