MICROSCOPIC WETTING PHENOMENA

Molecular-dynamics calculations have been used to investigate wetting phenomena on a microscopic length scale. The model systems consist of 90 water molecules on either hydrophobic or hydrophilic surfaces formed by monolayers of long-chain molecules with terminal -CH3 or -OH groups. As in experiment, these two surfaces exhibit qualitatively different wetting behavior which is characterized by a microscopic analog of the contact angle.