Thin film instability induced by long-range forces

Dispersion forces are present everywhere. Their importance, however, is lar gely neglected because directly at a surface or at an interface they are mo stly weak compared with specific interaction of short range. Here, we show that these forces are nonetheless extremely relevant and may have drastic c onsequences on the stability of thin films. We demonstrate that a force (pe r unit area) of <1 Pa is capable of "destroying" 100 nm (!) thick films, ev en if they are "glued" to the substrate by end-grafted polymers. We present the temporal evolution of different morphologies of unstable thin liquid p olymer films caused by destabilizing intermolecular forces.