Surfaces, Interfaces, Colloids

This course introduces the concepts, fundamentals, and orders of magnitude in the physics and physical chemistry of interfaces that govern the mesoscopic scale of matter and ultimately determine the behavior and properties of everyday objects—such as soil, milk, cheese, paints, inks, cosmetics, adhesives, lubricants, and many other technological processes—as well as biological cells and membranes.

Understand the microscopic physical origin of colloidal interactions and be able to evaluate their intensities and ranges in relation to thermal motion energy: For example, know how to calculate the van der Waals interaction energy between objects with simple geometric shapes, or the range of interactions between charged surfaces in water as a function of ionic strength.

- Be able to characterize a colloidal state: nature of the dispersion, specific surface area, sedimentation time, diffusion coefficient, etc.

- Accurately estimate the numerical values of the various physical quantities relevant at the mesoscopic scale and know how to express them in units appropriate for that scale.

- Understand the different types of surfactant molecules and how they self-assemble: calculate the critical micelle concentration and know how to characterize it experimentally

- Be able to solve simple problems related to mooring statics.

Basic knowledge of general physics (thermodynamics, electrostatics, forces, energy, and the fundamentals of quantum mechanics), thermochemistry, and proficiency in the basic mathematical tools used in physics (derivatives, integrals, limit expansions, cylindrical and spherical coordinates)

Final Exam

The Colloidal State: Description, Time, Energy, and Length Scales

Intermolecular interactions: covalent interactions, Coulomb interactions, dipole interactions, se interactions

Van der Waals interactions between colloids

Electrostatic forces between surfaces in liquids.

Polymer-mediated steric forces

Colloidal stability: DLVO theory. Coagulation kinetics.

Physical Chemistry of Self-Assembly and Surfactants

Wetting phenomena: surface and interfacial tension, wetting criterion, spreading parameter, capillary length, Young–Dupré’s law, Laplace’s law, Jurin’s law, tensiometry.

Chemical Equilibria and Free Enthalpy

Acid-base, redox, solubility, and complexation equilibria.

Preparation of colloidal suspensions?