An accurate determination of the surface energy of solid selenium

Selenium is currently a key element for developing nano and micro-technologies. Nevertheless, the surface energy of solid selenium (gamma(Se)) reported in the literature is still questionable. In this work, we have measured gamma(Se) = 0.291 +/- 0.025 J/m(2) at 293 K using the sessile drop technique with different probe liquids, namely ethylene glycol, de-ionized water, mercury, and gallium. This value is in excellent agreement with theoretical predictions. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4769358]