UCL - Surface and colloid chemistry

[BIR1319]

[30h] 3 credits

This course is taught in the 2d semester.

Teacher(s): Christine Dupont

Language: French

Level: First

Aims
Main themes
Content and teaching methods
Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Aims

Knowledge of:
- Concepts allowing the understanding of physico-chemical phenomena typical of dispersed systems (surfaces, colloids, nanometer-scale and supramolecular systems).
- Incidence of such concepts on the behaviour of systems at the macroscopic scale.

Know-how:
- Ability to establish relationships between phenomena occurring at different scales (nano, micro, macro)
- Developing curiosity towards the understanding of matter and the link with applications (materials, food, living organisms, soils, environment, chemical industry).

Main themes

- Overview of colloidal systems and interfaces
- Kinetic theory of colloidal systems: concepts, applications
- Surface energy: concepts, applications
- Adsorption: concepts, applications
- Membrane-related phenomena: concepts, applications
- Charged interfaces: physico-chemical models
- Interactions between surfaces: concepts, applications

Content and teaching methods

Introduction: overview of colloidal systems and interfaces. Kinetic theory of colloidal systems: sedimentation, centrifugation, diffusion, Brownian movement. Surface energy: surface tension, Laplace equation, wetting - capillarity - adhesion - cohesion - dispersion, porosimetry, illustrations. Thermodynamics in solution: Gibbs-Duhem equation, osmotic pressure. Adsorption from solution: properties of monolayers, adsorption, Gibbs equation, Langmuir isotherm, illustrations. Donnan equilibrium: ion distribution, osmotic pressure, potential, relationship with classical electrochemistry, illustrations. Properties of charged surfaces: origin of charge, physical and chemical models of the double layer, interactions between particles and stability of colloidal systems.

Other information (prerequisite, evaluation (assessment methods), course materials recommended readings, ...)

Precursory courses : General physics, General chemistry, Introduction to thermodynamics (concept of free enthalpy)

Evaluation : Written examination, including one question answered with the support of documents from the course.

Support : A written support is provided (book chapter or teacher's notes depending on the part of the course)