(480b) Adsorption of Charged Colloids in Low Permittivity Solvents

The behavior of charged colloidal particles in aqueous media has been studied extensively over the last century. Several classical theories and equations have been developed to characterize colloid-colloid and colloid-surface interactions in such media. Numerous studies have shown the effects of surfactants and salts on the adsorption of colloidal particles onto various surfaces from aqueous solutions. The behavior of charged colloids in low permittivity solvents, however, is still not well understood. Here, we study the adsorption behavior of charged particles in low permittivity solvents (e.g.hexadecane). Charged colloidal particles in low permittivity solvents are adsorbed onto surfaces with different functionalities. The effects of charge inducing agents on the adsorption of charged colloids in these solvents are also investigated. We use optical and fluorescence microscopy to observe the equilibrium structures formed in these solvents and use Fourier transform analysis to characterize these structures. In addition, a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is used to probe the kinetics of particle adsorption in low permittivity environments. With these tools, we show that electrostatic interactions influence the adsorption of colloidal particles from non-aqueous solvents.