Combining rule for molecular interactions derived from macroscopic contact angles and solid-liquid adhesion patterns

We have examined a combining rule for intermolecular potentials recently proposed by Kwok et al. [J. Phys. Chem. B 2000,104,741] for the calculation of solid-liquid adhesion patterns using a van der Waals model with a mean-field approximation. We found good agreement between the predicted and experimental adhesion patterns. We have also employed the 9:3, Steele's, and 12:6 combining rules for comparison purposes and found that they can also predict the general adhesion and contact angle patterns observed experimentally, but with more scatter and less detail. Results suggest that macroscopic contact angle and adhesion findings can be used to infer relationships of unlike solid-fluid interactions at a molecular level.