Universität Wien

270076 VO Hot Topics in Physical Chemistry - Soft Matter (2023S)

4.00 ECTS (2.00 SWS), SPL 27 - Chemie

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

Language: English

Examination dates

Lecturers

Classes

This course runs in block format. Lecture recordings are available on Moodle. Face-to-face classroom sessions take place in the period 20 - 30 June 2023. The oral examination will take place in the period 6-7 July 2023. The students should contact Dr Horozov in advance to arrange their examination slot within that period and register for the exam.


Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

The course covers a wide range of phenomena related to fluid interfaces, their interactions with solids and derived soft materials of great practical importance. Topics include: Modern aspects of wetting and capillarity, Colloidal particles at liquid interfaces, Anisotropic colloidal particles, and Foams and emulsions stabilised by surfactants and/or solid particles.

Learning outcomes:
On completion of this course which contains conceptually challenging and advanced topics, students should, with minimum guidance, be able to do the following:
1. Explain specialised topics which are the forefront of physical chemistry and materials science from a range of partially prescribed sources.
2. Explain, with comprehension, the processes associated with wetting and capillarity phenomena, such as interfacial tension, contact angles, Young's equation, capillary length, measurement of contact angles, effect of roughness and heterogeneity on contact angles, hysteresis, methods for tuning the solid wetting, Laplace pressure, capillary rise, Kelvin's equation, and capillary adhesion. Critically evaluate methods for manipulation of droplets on surfaces, including electrowetting and dielectrophoresis, and discuss their applications towards microfluidics.
3. Understand and be able to explain the forces responsible for the attachment of colloidal particles at liquid interfaces, the Bond number and capillary length; energy of particle detachment and attachment from/to liquid interfaces and its dependence on the particle contact angle.
4. Identify, select, explain and critically evaluate different methods used for the preparation of non-spherical and Janus particles and their applications.
5. Explain, with comprehension, the kinetic and thermodynamic properties of foams and emulsions. Critically evaluate the different types of emulsifiers, and describe their key stabilisation mechanisms. Explain Pickering stabilisation of foams and emulsions using solid particles and methods for measuring particle contact angles.

Assessment and permitted materials

oral exam

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

To pass the exam, the students should demonstrate basic understanding of the examination topics and be able to answer questions (with some help) related to the basic concepts covered by the course.
To achieve the highest mark, the students should be able to discuss freely and explain the key concepts in the examination topics including the derivation of key equations.

Examination topics

Modern aspects of wetting and capillarity;
Colloidal particles at liquid interfaces;
Anisotropic colloidal particles;
Foams and emulsions stabilised by surfactants and/or solid particles.

Reading list

learning material on the platform Moodle

Association in the course directory

PC-1, B.2, D.3, CH-MAT-02, WC5

Last modified: Mo 07.08.2023 11:47