Dear readers,
Let's say I have a glass aquarium, filled with water. Let's assume that I can apply any regular coatings to the walls if need be.
I would like to add a small amount of a certain liquid X that
-does not mix with water (e.g. a carbohydrate)
-completely wets wall A
-is "naturally" (thermodynamically) attracted to wall A, but not wall B.
Is there such a liquid X?
I'm thinking this should be possible by coating wall A with a hydrophobic coating (PTFE, Teflon-like coating), and wall B with a hydrophilic (titanium-based) coating. Would the thermodynamics of the coated surface, liquid X, and water favor a complete wetting of wall A with liquid X?
Would I need to apply a surfactant to either the water or the carbohydrate?