Colloids, Surfaces and Interfaces

The surface is the link between a body - a bubble, a piece of metal, a droplet - and the environment. As such, the surface is the place where many physical and chemical phenomena take place. These processes can be highly dependent on the interface under study: solid-liquid, liquid-gas, gas-solid, etc. One remarkable case is the dispersion of a solid in a liquid media, known as colloids. This particular example has impacted strongly in the development of areas such as nanoscience and nanotechnology.

This course provides a basic overview of surfaces, interfaces and colloidal systems. As such, it will merge physics concepts that strongly impact other disciplines such as chemistry, biology and materials science, among others. In this course we will cover the basic concepts, theories, experimental techniques and applications needed to understand different types of interfaces, surfaces and colloidal materials.