After successful completion of the course, students are able to independently analyze problems in the area of colloid and interface physics, and they will be able to transfer conceptual and theoretical concepts to unexpected and new problems in the area.
Colloid and interface chemistry and physics covers a broad and diverse domain – the colloidal domain of nano-to-micro structured materials -and is concerned with fundamental aspects of molecular ordering in hierarchically emerging systems, and with interaction forces and energies in these systems. Applications include examples from the bio-, natural- and life science domain as well as technology in medical and technical areas.
After successful completion of the course, students understand the fundamentals and modern experimental methods, theories and simulation approaches in the colloid and interface domain. This includes for instance inter and intramolecular interactions, surface and interface structures, self-organized structures (lipids, micelles, liposomes…) and dynamic and static surface phenomena (e.g. contact angles, wetting and dewetting or the Marangoni effect), as well as specific (key/lock type) or non-specific biologic interactions.
I MOLECULAR FUNDAMENTALS
- Thermodynamic and Statistical Aspects of Intermolecular Forces
- Attractive Intermolecular Forces
- Repulsive Steric Forces, Total Intermolecular Pair Potentials, and Liquid Structure
- Special Interactions: Hydrogen-Bonding and Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
- Nonequilibrium and Time-Dependent Interactions
II SURFACES AND INTERFACES
- Definitions and general considerations
- Characterization of surface and interfaces
- Surface sensitive experimental probes
III FORCES BETWEEN PARTICLES AND SURFACES
- Unifying Concepts in Intermolecular and Interparticle Forces
- Contrasts between Intermolecular, Interparticle, and Intersurface Forces
- Forces between Particles and Surfaces
IV TECHNOLOGIC EXAMPLES
- Colloidal systems
- Experimental characterisation of colloidal systems
- Adhesion and Wetting Phenomena
- Friction and Lubrication Forces
- Polymers in solutions
- Polymer-solution bulk properties
- Polymers at surfaces and interfaces
V SELF-ASSEMBLING STRUCTURES AND BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS
- Thermodynamic Principles of Self-Assembly
- Soft and Biological Structures
- Interactions of Biological Membranes and Structures
- Dynamic Biointeractions
Teaching will be a mixture of input and discussion on the basis of recent scientifc discoveries and publications. Scientific publications will be available online for self-studies, and will be discussed in the lectures individually.
