Line Tension Effects near First-Order Wetting Transitions

The behavior of the line tension for n-octane or 1-octene droplets on a hexadecyltrichlorosilane coated Si wafer, near a first-order wetting transition, qualitatively agrees with the theoretical predictions of Indekeu [Physica (Amsterdam) 183A, 439 (1992)] and the calculations of a number of other groups. A simple phenomenological model possessing a repulsive barrier at l₀0ex0ex=0ex0ex(5.1±0.2)nm and a horizontal correlation length ξ0ex0ex=0ex0ex(0.40±0.03)μm provides a quantitative description of the experiments.