Dynamics of wetting layer formation

We study the formation and growth of wetting layers in the binary liquid mi xture cyclohexane-methanol. By progressively deuterating the methanol we ca n tune the equilibrium wetting layer thickness, Hysteresis of the transitio n is observed for large thicknesses and is absent for thinner ones. This ca n be understood by calculating the activation energy for wetting layer nucl eation as a function of the film thickness. We also show that the late-stag e growth of the wetting layer after the nucleation process follows a power law in time, in agreement with a diffusion-limited growth mechanism propose d theoretically.