Mechanical properties of molecularly thin lubricant layers: experimental methods and procedures

We present a new experimental set-up and experimental strategies designed for investigating dynamic processes in molecularly thin lubricant layers. The experimental set-up is an extension of a conventional surface forces apparatus, which allows for two-dimensional imaging of the thickness of liquid...

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Main Authors: Becker, Thomas, Mugele, F.
Format: Journal Article
Published: IOP Publishing Ltd 2005
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/38229
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author Becker, Thomas
Mugele, F.
author_facet Becker, Thomas
Mugele, F.
author_sort Becker, Thomas
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description We present a new experimental set-up and experimental strategies designed for investigating dynamic processes in molecularly thin lubricant layers. The experimental set-up is an extension of a conventional surface forces apparatus, which allows for two-dimensional imaging of the thickness of liquid layers confined between two atomically smooth mica surfaces. We present details of amica surface preparation technique that eliminates otherwise frequently encountered contamination of the surfaces with nanoparticles, which were recently shown to affect surface forces measurements. Multiple-beam interferometry results in a thickness resolution of approximately 0.2 nm. The data analysis relies on fitting of numerically calculated optical transmission spectra of asymmetric multilayer Fabry–Perot interferometers. The lateral resolution and time resolution are determined by the optical resolution of the video microscopy and the frame rate of the digital CCD camera, respectively. Furthermore, we summarize several results and new insights into the collapse dynamics of thin lubricant layers that were obtained with this technique.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-382292017-09-13T14:14:27Z Mechanical properties of molecularly thin lubricant layers: experimental methods and procedures Becker, Thomas Mugele, F. We present a new experimental set-up and experimental strategies designed for investigating dynamic processes in molecularly thin lubricant layers. The experimental set-up is an extension of a conventional surface forces apparatus, which allows for two-dimensional imaging of the thickness of liquid layers confined between two atomically smooth mica surfaces. We present details of amica surface preparation technique that eliminates otherwise frequently encountered contamination of the surfaces with nanoparticles, which were recently shown to affect surface forces measurements. Multiple-beam interferometry results in a thickness resolution of approximately 0.2 nm. The data analysis relies on fitting of numerically calculated optical transmission spectra of asymmetric multilayer Fabry–Perot interferometers. The lateral resolution and time resolution are determined by the optical resolution of the video microscopy and the frame rate of the digital CCD camera, respectively. Furthermore, we summarize several results and new insights into the collapse dynamics of thin lubricant layers that were obtained with this technique. 2005 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/38229 10.1088/0953-8984/17/9/004 IOP Publishing Ltd restricted
spellingShingle Becker, Thomas
Mugele, F.
Mechanical properties of molecularly thin lubricant layers: experimental methods and procedures
title Mechanical properties of molecularly thin lubricant layers: experimental methods and procedures
title_full Mechanical properties of molecularly thin lubricant layers: experimental methods and procedures
title_fullStr Mechanical properties of molecularly thin lubricant layers: experimental methods and procedures
title_full_unstemmed Mechanical properties of molecularly thin lubricant layers: experimental methods and procedures
title_short Mechanical properties of molecularly thin lubricant layers: experimental methods and procedures
title_sort mechanical properties of molecularly thin lubricant layers: experimental methods and procedures
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/38229