In this paper

a self-rewetting fluid

namely aqueous n-butanol solution

is employed for demonstrating the thermocapillary effect on bubble behaviors during subcooled nucleate boiling on thin wire by comparing with deionized water. Bubble-top jet flow for these fluids is observed around a platinum micro heated wire by high speed CCD camera. Corresponding numerical simulation proves that it is the thermocapillary convection that attracts the subcooled water to flow from the superheated microlayer at the base to the top of a stationary bubble. For n-butanol solution

however

the thermocapillary convection can induce it to flow oppositely

which causes the subcooled solution to flow onto the heated surface. The simulation for the solution is in good agreement with the experiment where the subcooled liquid near the bubble top flow towards the bubble base and hence multi-jet flows occur. The multi-jet flows can sustain for a long period and cause transient chaos at the superheated thin liquid layer near the heated surface. The temperature around the bubble presents sharp temperature gradient and the velocity in the near wall regionis almost vertical to the wall. The studies on the effect of thermocapillary convection are crucial to the mechanisms of subcooled nucleate boiling of fluids.