Electrostatic interactions of colloidal particles in nonpolar solvents: role of surface chemistry and charge control agents

Langmuir. 2008 Feb 19;24(4):1160-4. doi: 10.1021/la702432u. Epub 2007 Dec 7.

Abstract

We study the electrostatic and hydrodynamic interactions of colloidal particles in nonpolar solvents. Using blinking optical tweezers, we can extract the screening length, kappa-1, the effective surface potential, |ezeta*|, and the hydrodynamic radius, ah, in a single measurement. We apply this technique to suspensions of polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) particles in hexadecane with soluble charge control agents, aerosol sodium di-2-ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT) and polyisobutylene succinimide (OLOA-1200). We find that the electrostatic interactions of these particles depend sensitively on surface composition as well as on the concentration and chemistry of the charge control agent.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aerosols / chemistry
  • Alkanes / chemistry*
  • Colloids / chemistry*
  • Optical Tweezers
  • Particle Size
  • Polymers / chemistry*
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate / chemistry*
  • Polystyrenes / chemistry*
  • Solvents / chemistry
  • Static Electricity
  • Succinates / chemistry*
  • Succinimides / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Thermodynamics

Substances

  • 1,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl) sodium sulfosuccinate
  • Aerosols
  • Alkanes
  • Colloids
  • Polymers
  • Polystyrenes
  • Solvents
  • Succinates
  • Succinimides
  • polyisobutylene succinimide
  • Polymethyl Methacrylate
  • n-hexadecane