Macro- and nanoscopic capillary effects on nanostructured real surfaces

The measurements of capillary forces on different diamond-like materials and carbon allotropic modifications taken using a scanning force microscope have been discussed. The amplitude-frequency characteristics of the nanorelief surfaces studied have been widely varied by plasma chemical treatments. The measurements of capillary forces have been compared with the macroscopic values of a wetting angle. It has been shown that a macroscopic wetting angle depends on the averaged surface energy only and is slightly dependent on the nanorelief characteristics, and nanocapillary forces correlate with both surface relief parameters and the local angle of wetting. Criteria for multimeniscus mode of capillary forces measurement in the surface force spectroscopy and the prospects of this procedure application for mapping the real surface energy have been considered in detail.