Fluoroalcohols as nucleating agents in supersaturated vapors: Efficient clustering with water in the vapor phase

Fluoroalcohols in small concentrations in the vapor phase display striking enhancing effects on homogeneous nucleation of supersaturated aliphatic alcohols, and on the formation of water clusters by supersonic expansion. The enhanced nucleation effects are attributed to the surfactant properties of fluoroalcohols, which lower the surface tension of the growing droplets, and therefore lower the barrier to nucleation.