Colloidal Dispersions

Course goals

After completion of the course students should

1. have a broad knowledge of synthesis and (surface) properties of colloids in dispersions.
2. have an adequate understanding of a variety of typical physico-chemical phenomena observed in colloidal dispersions.
3. have a thorough understanding of thermodynamic aspects of colloidal dispersions, including the influences of external fields an depletion effects.
4. be able to apply their fundamental knowledge to comprehend preparation, characterization, and properties of real-world colloidal fluids.

Content

The aim of this course is to provide students with state-of-the-art knowledge of colloid science, with a focus on colloidal dispersions, from a fundamental scientific level but where possible also accompanied by the wide applications of colloidal dispersions in technology and in our daily life.

The synthesis of colloids will be addressed via (the thermodynamics of) nucleation and growth of particles in solution, illustrated with practical examples in the form of colloids composed of silica, polymer, noble metals etc. Methods will be reviewed for chemical surface modifications to disperse colloids in solvents of interest, and for endowing colloids with functionalities in the form of, for example, dyes for confocal microscopy and magnetic labels for magnetic manipulations.

Various forms of self-assembly, clustering and collective behaviour that colloids can display will be prominently addressed. Colloidal transport phenomena studied in the course comprise rotational and translational Brownian motion, sedimentation and electrophoresis. These will be connected to some colloidal systems of real-world importance such as clays, paints, liquid crystals and magnetic fluids.

The course is intended to link concrete experimental observations with the relevant theoretical descriptions that govern these phenomena such as DLVO theory and the Gibbs free energy. The fundamental colloidal properties will also be presented from the point of view of experimental characterization of colloids in the laboratory as treated in SK-MCOAT.

This 3.75 EC course and the Colloidal Analysis Techniques course (SK-MCOAT, 3.75 EC) are recommended for students who want to perform research on colloids or other soft matter in the Physical and Colloid Chemistry group or in the Soft Condensed Matter group.