| Abstract
| - The topology and molecular ordering of submonolayer triacontane films at SiOx/air interfaces has beeninvestigated near the bulk melting temperature. Island regions, about an extended monolayer thickerthan the neighboring regions, are observed by surface force microscopy and these regions continue to existabove the bulk melting transition. X-ray reflectivity and grazing incidence angle diffraction confirm thesurface freezing behavior of the alkanes. The melting temperature of the solid monolayer regions seemsto coincide with the wetting transition temperature observed in samples with higher coverage. The diffractiondata also reveal that the triacontane in the monolayer regions exhibits long-range order at temperaturesabove the bulk melting temperature, consistent with a rotator phase.
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