Spinodal dewetting of thin liquid films at soft interfaces

We study theoretically the behavior of nanoscopic liquid films L (thickness e) intercalated between a solid S and a rubber R (elastic modulus mu). Thi ckness modulations involve a healing length zetaR, which results from a com petition between elastic and disjoining pressure. With van der Waals intera ctions, zetaR = e(4)/(a(2)h(0)), where a is a molecular size and ho the rub ber capillary length (h(0) = gamma LR/mu, gamma LR = L/R interfacial tensio n). If the Hamaker constant of the intercalated liquid is negative, the fil m dewets by amplification of peristaltic fluctuations ("spinodal dewetting" ). The typical size of the S/R contacts is predicted to scale like zetaR fo r films of thicknesses e > rooth(0)a. The rise time tau of the fastest mode , predicted to scale like tau approximate to e(9), should be very sensitive to the film thickness.