After completion of the course students should
- have an adequate knowledge of synthesis methods for and (surface) properties of colloidal dispersions.
- have a thorough understanding of the DLVO theory and other thermo-dynamic aspects of colloidal dispersions including osmosis and depletion effects.
- have an adequate understanding of a variety of colloidal transport phenomena.
- be able to apply their fundamental knowledge to comprehend preparation and properties of real-world colloidal fluids.
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The aim is to provide students with state-of-the art knowledge of colloid science, from a fundamental level up to the wide applications of colloidal dispersions in technology and industry – and in our daily life.
The birth 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, iron-oxides, sulfur and noble metals. 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.
Colloidal transport phenomena studied in the course comprise rotational and translational Brownian motion, sedimentation and colloidal filtration (Darcy’s law), ultra-centrifugation, electrophoresis, flocculation kinetics and dispersion rheology.
The DLVO theory of colloidal stability will be treated, including reviews of its various ingredients, namely the Debye-Hückel approximation, the Poisson-Boltzmann equation, van der Waals forces, the Gibbs free energy and the Donnan equilibrium. The theory of osmotic pressure is the stepping stone to the important phenomenon of depletion forces in colloid-polymer mixtures.
The fundamentals in this course will be connected to various colloidal systems of real-world importance such as clays, paints, liquid crystals and magnetic fluids.
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