Exploring the effect of surface hydration on microboiling events with self-assembled monolayers

COLL 512

Michael J. Tarlov1, O. C. Thomas1, K. M. Balss1, and Richard Cavicchi2. (1) Chemical Science & Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, (2) Chemical Science and Technology Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD
This talk will describe studies of micro-boiling phenomena on the surfaces of rapidly heated thin film heaters. Alkanethiol monolayers are self-assembled on heater surfaces to investigate the effect of surface wettability on micro-boiling behavior. The heaters are thin films of platinum or gold-plated platinum with dimensions of approximately 5 x 200 microns. The micro-heaters are immersed in solutions where they are rapidly heated to high temperature with short (5ms – 40ms), square voltage pulses. The temperature-time responses of the micro-heaters are obtained by measuring their resistance during the application of the heating pulse. The bubble nucleation event associated with boiling is signaled in the temperature-time transient by an inflection point that results from a change in heat transfer when a vapor bubble forms on the heater. Because of the extremely high heating rates, superheating is observed where nucleation temperatures near 300°C have been measured in water. We will demonstrate that temperature-time transients of hydrophobic SAMs are distinct from those of hydrophilic SAMs and that information on SAM stability and interfacial hydration can be gleaned from the transients.
 

Adamson Award Symposium Honoring Dave Allara and Ralph Nuzzo

Division of Colloid and Surface Chemistry
The 225th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 23-27, 2003