Ian Wark Research Institute,
University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes SA 5095 Australia.
Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 176104 (2001)
Abstract
Imaging of hydrophobic surfaces in water with
tapping mode atomic force microscopy reveals
them to be covered with soft domains,
apparently nanobubbles,
that are close-packed and irregular in cross-section,
have a radius of curvature of the order of 100nm,
and a height above the substrate of 20--30nm.
Complementary force measurements show features
seen in previous measurements of the long-range hydrophobic attraction,
including a jump into a soft contact and a pre-jump repulsion.
The distance of the jump is correlated with the height of the images.
The morphology of the nanobubbles and the time scale
for their formation suggest the origin of their stability.
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