Planar fluid interfaces -- Interfaces of moderate curvature : theory of capillarity -- Surface bending moment and curvature elastic moduli -- General curved interfaces and biomembranes -- Liquid films and interactions between particle and surface -- Particles at interfaces : deformations and hydrodynamic interactions -- Lateral capillary forces between partially immersed bodies -- Lateral capillary forces between floating particles -- Capillary forces between particles bound to a spherical interface -- Mechanics of lipid membranes and interaction between inclusions -- Capillary bridges and capillary-bridge forces -- Capillary forces between particles of irregular contact line -- Two-dimensional crystallization of particulates and proteins -- Effect of oil drops and particulates on the stability of foams.

In the small world of micrometer to nanometer scale many natural and industrial processes include attachment of colloid particles (solid spheres, liquid droplets, gas bubbles or protein macromolecules) to fluid interfaces and their confinement in liquid films. This may lead to the appearance of lateral interactions between particles at interfaces, or between inclusions in phospholipid membranes, followed eventually by the formation of two-dimensional ordered arrays. The book is devoted to the description of such processes, their consecutive stages, and to the investigation of the underlying physico-chemical mechanisms. The first six chapters give a concise but informative introduction to the basic knowledge in surface and colloid science, which includes both traditional concepts and some recent results. Chapters 1 and 2 are devoted to the basic theory of capillarity, kinetics of surfactant adsorption, shapes of axisymmetric fluid interfaces, contact angles and line tension. Chapters 3 and 4 present a generalization of the theory of capillarity to the case, in which the variation of the interfacial (membrane) curvature contributes to the total energy of the system. The generalized Laplace equation is applied to determine the configurations of free and adherent biological cells. Chapters 5 and 6 are focused on the role of thin liquid films and hydrodynamic factors in the attachment of solid and fluid particles to an interface. Surface forces of various physical nature are presented and their relative importance is discussed. Hydrodynamic interactions of a colloidal particle with an interface (or another particle) are also considered.Chapters 7 to 10 are devoted to the theoretical foundation of various kinds of capillary forces. When two particles are attached to the same interface (membrane), capillary interactions, mediated by the interface or membrane, appear between them. Two major kinds of capillary interactions are described: (i) capillary immersion force related to the surface wettability (Chapter 7), (ii) capillary flotation force originating from interfacial deformations due to particle weight (Chapter 8). Special attention is paid to the theory of capillary immersion forces between particles entrapped in spherical liquid films (Chapter 9). A generalization of the theory of immersion forces allows one to describe membrane-mediated interactions between protein inclusions into a lipid bilayer (Chapter 10).Chapter 11 is devoted to the theory of the capillary bridges and the capillary-bridge forces, whose importance has been recognized in phenomena like consolidation of granules and soils, wetting of powders, capillary condensation, long-range hydrophobic attraction, etc. The nucleation of capillary bridges is also examined.Chapter 12 considers solid particles, which have an irregular wetting perimeter upon attachment to a fluid interface. The undulated contact line induces interfacial deformations, which engender a special lateral capillary force between the particles. The latter contributes to the dilatational and shear elastic moduli of particulate adsorption monolayers.Chapter 13 describes how lateral capillary forces, facilitated by convective flows and some specific and non-specific interactions, can lead to the aggregation and ordering of various particles at fluid interfaces or in thin liquid films. Recent results on fabricating two-dimensional (2D) arrays from micrometer and sub-micrometer latex particles, as well as 2D crystals from proteins and protein complexes, are reviewed. Chapter 14 presents applied aspects of the particle-surface interaction in antifoaming and defoaming. The mechanisms of antifoaming action involve as a necessary step the entering of an antifoam particle at the air-water interface. The considered mechanisms indicate the factors for control of foaminess.

Bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels, now commonly termed 'bijels', are a class of soft materials, in which interpenetrating, continuous domains of two immiscible fluids are maintained in a rigid arrangement by a jammed layer of colloidal particles at their interface. Such gels have unusual material properties that promise exciting applications across diverse fields from energy materials and catalysis, to food science. This is the first book on the subject and provides the reader with a fundamental introduction. Edited by a recognised authority on bijels, the reader will learn about the bijel and its formation. Bringing together current understanding, this book aims to bring the potential application of bijels to diverse materials challenges closer to fruition. This is a must-have resource for anyone working in soft matter and applied fields.

The understanding of how small solid particles operate at liquid interfaces is minimal. This book brings together the topics actively being investigated, with contributions from experts in the field. It will be of interest to researchers in chemistry, physics, chemical engineering, pharmacy, food science and materials science.

Fluid interfaces are promising candidates for confining different types of materials, e.g., polymers, surfactants, colloids, and even small molecules, to be used in designing new functional materials with reduced dimensionality. The development of such materials requires a deepening of the physicochemical bases underlying the formation of layers at fluid interfaces as well as on the characterization of their structures and properties. This is of particular importance because the constraints associated with the assembly of materials at the interface lead to the emergence of equilibrium and features of dynamics in the interfacial systems, which are far removed from those conventionally found in traditional materials. This Special Issue is devoted to studies on the fundamental and applied aspects of fluid interfaces, and attempts to provide a comprehensive perspective on the current status of the research field.

Anisotropic Particle Assemblies: Synthesis, Assembly, Modeling, and Applications covers the synthesis, assembly, modeling, and applications of various types of anisotropic particles. Topics such as chemical synthesis and scalable fabrication of colloidal molecules, molecular mimetic self-assembly, directed assembly under external fields, theoretical and numerical multi-scale modeling, anisotropic materials with novel interfacial properties, and the applications of these topics in renewable energy, intelligent micro-machines, and biomedical fields are discussed in depth. Contributors to this book are internationally known experts who have been actively studying each of these subfields for many years.This book is an invaluable reference for researchers and chemical engineers who are working at the intersection of physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science and engineering. It educates students, trains the next generation of researchers, and stimulates continuous development in this rapidly emerging area for new materials and innovative technologies. - Provides comprehensive coverage on new developments in anisotropic particles - Features chapters written by emerging and leading experts in each of the subfields - Contains information that will appeal to a broad spectrum of professionals, including but not limited to chemical engineers, chemists, physicists, and materials scientists and engineers - Serves as both a reference book for researchers and a textbook for graduate students

Particles at Fluid Interfaces encompasses the processes and formulations that involve the stabilisation of fluid interfaces by adsorbed particles. The prevalence of these multiphase materials underpins their use in a broad range of industries from personal care and food technology to oil and mineral processing. The stabilisation conferred by the adsorbed particles can be transient as found in froth flotation or long-lived as occurs within Pickering Emulsions. The particles can range in size from nanoparticles to millimetre-sized particles, and cover a spectrum from collapsed proteins, polymeric colloids of controlled size and shape to high dispersity mineral particles.

Physics and Chemistry of Interfaces Comprehensive textbook on the interdisciplinary field of interface science, fully updated with new content on wetting, spectroscopy, and coatings Physics and Chemistry of Interfaces provides a comprehensive introduction to the field of surface and interface science, focusing on essential concepts rather than specific details, and on intuitive understanding rather than convoluted math. Numerous high-end applications from surface technology, biotechnology, and microelectronics are included to illustrate and help readers easily comprehend basic concepts. The new edition contains an increased number of problems with detailed, worked solutions, making it ideal as a self-study resource. In topic coverage, the highly qualified authors take a balanced approach, discussing advanced interface phenomena in detail while remaining comprehensible. Chapter summaries with the most important equations, facts, and phenomena are included to aid the reader in information retention. A few of the sample topics included in Physics and Chemistry of Interfaces are as follows: Liquid surfaces, covering microscopic picture of a liquid surface, surface tension, the equation of Young and Laplace, and curved liquid surfaces Thermodynamics of interfaces, covering surface excess, internal energy and Helmholtz energy, equilibrium conditions, and interfacial excess energies Charged interfaces and the electric double layer, covering planar surfaces, the Grahame equation, and limitations of the Poisson-Boltzmann theory Surface forces, covering Van der Waals forces between molecules, macroscopic calculations, the Derjaguin approximation, and disjoining pressure Physics and Chemistry of Interfaces is a complete reference on the subject, aimed at advanced students (and their instructors) in physics, material science, chemistry, and engineering. Researchers requiring background knowledge on surface and interface science will also benefit from the accessible yet in-depth coverage of the text.

Understanding the structural and thermodynamic properties of surfaces, interfaces, and membranes is important for both fundamental and practical reasons. Important applications include coatings, dispersants, encapsulating agents, and biological materials. Soft materials, important in the development of new materials and the basis of many biological systems, cannot be designed using trial and error methods due to the multiplicity of components and parameters. While these systems can sometimes be analyzed in terms of microscopic mixtures, it is often conceptually simpler to regard them as dispersions and to focus on the properties of the internal interfaces found in these systems. The basic physics centers on the properties of quasi-two-dimensional systems embedded in the three-dimensional world, thus exhibiting phenomena that do not exist in bulk materials. This approach is the basis behind the theoretical presentation of Statistical Thermodynamics of Surfaces, Interfaces, and Membranes. The approach adapted allows one to treat the rich diversity of phenomena investigated in the field of soft matter physics (including both colloid/interface science as well as the materials and macromolecular aspects of biological physics) such as interfacial tension, the roughening transition, wetting, interactions between surfaces, membrane elasticity, and self-assembly. Presented as a set of lecture notes, this book is aimed at physicists, physical chemists, biological physicists, chemical engineers, and materials scientists who are interested in the statistical mechanics that underlie the macroscopic, thermodynamic properties of surfaces, interfaces, and membranes. This paperback edition contains all the material published in the original hard-cover edition as well as additional clarifications and explanations.

This book mainly focuses on key aspects of biomembranes that have emerged over the past 15 years. It covers static and dynamic descriptions, as well as modeling for membrane organization and shape at the local and global (at the cell level) scale. It also discusses several new developments in non-equilibrium aspects that have not yet been covered elsewhere. Biological membranes are the seat of interactions between cells and the rest of the world, and internally, they are at the core of complex dynamic reorganizations and chemical reactions. Despite the long tradition of membrane research in biophysics, the physics of cell membranes as well as of biomimetic or synthetic membranes is a rapidly developing field. Though successful books have already been published on this topic over the past decades, none include the most recent advances. Additionally, in this domain, the traditional distinction between biological and physical approaches tends to blur. This book gathers the most recent advances in this area, and will benefit biologists and physicists alike.