SURFACE

CHEMISTRY
Part -3 : Colloids -1
 Colloids
SOLUTIONS: A homogeneous mixture of two or more substances. Eg: salt &
water, soap in alcohol

SUSPENSION: A heterogeneous mixture in which particles of one component

settle down .Eg: Sand & water

COLLOIDS: In between the extremes of suspensions and solutions lies the

colloidal system. Milk, salt in benzene, soap in water(at a particular conc.)
COLLOID
It is a heterogeneous system in which one substance is dispersed ( DISPERSED
PHASE) as very fine particles in another substance called DISPERSION
MEDIUM.

SIZE OF SOLUTE PARTICLES –

True solution < 1 nm

Colloid 1 to 1000 nm

Suspension > 1000 nm

Precipitate > 10,000 nm

COMPONENTS OF COLLOIDAL SOLUTION
DISPERSED PHASE: The substance which is dispersed in another substance .

● The particles of the dispersed phase are characterised by relatively very large
surface areas
● Colloidal particles are larger than than the simple molecules but small
enough to remain suspended (and not settle down)

DISPERSION MEDIUM: The medium in which colloidal particles are dispersed.

CLASSIFICATION OF COLLOIDS

a) On the basis of the physical state of the dispersed phase and dispersion
medium.

b) On the basis of the Nature of interaction between dispersed phase and

dispersion medium.

c) On the basis of Types of particles of the dispersed phase.

a) On the basis of the physical state of the dispersed phase and dispersion
medium.
MOST COMMON COLLOIDS
SOLS: SOLID IN LIQUID

GELS: LIQUIDS IN SOLIDS

EMULSIONS: LIQUIDS IN LIQUIDS

We will study Sols & Emulsions

Based on the Nature of Interaction Between Dispersed Phase and
Dispersion Medium

1) Lyophilic (solvent attracting)

2) Lyophobic (solvent repelling).

If water is the dispersion medium, the terms used are hydrophilic

and hydrophobic.
LYOPHILIC COLLOIDS LYOPHOBIC COLLOIDS

The word ‘lyophilic’ means liquid loving The word ‘lyophobic’ means liquid-
hating.

The dispersed phase has great attraction for the The dispersed phase has little affinity for the
dispersion medium dispersion medium

Easy to prepare- directly formed by mixing Difficult to prepare ie can be prepared by special
substances in dispersion medium. Like starch - water methods.

Reversible Irreversible

These sols are quite stable and cannot be easily These sols are easily precipitated and need a
coagulated stabilising agent for their preservation

Eg gum,gelatin,starch, rubber with suitable Eg.metals, metal sulphides in suitable DM

dispersion medium
Classification Based on Type of Particles of the Dispersed Phase

1) Multimolecular colloids

2) Macromolecular colloids

3) Associated colloids
Multimolecular colloids

● Those colloids where large number of small atoms or molecules collectively

aggregate to form particles having size between 1 nm and 1000 nm. For
e.g., gold sol, sulphur sol.

● The molecules in the aggregates are held together by Van der Waal forces
Macromolecular colloids

● The dispersed phase is formed by macromolecules whose sizes are in the

colloidal range.
● These when mixed in a suitable dispersion medium form colloids that are
quite stable and resemble true solutions in many respects.

Eg: a) Natural occuring macromolecules like starch, cellulose, proteins and

enzymes

b) Man made macromolecules like polythene, nylon, polystyrene,synthetic rubber

etc.
3. Associated colloids (Micelles)
● Certain substances behave as normal solutions of strong electrolytes at low concentration but
at higher concentrations exhibit colloidal characteristics due to the formation of
aggregates.

● The aggregated particles thus formed are called MICELLES.

● The temperature above which formation of micelles take place is called Kraft temperature (Tk).

● The minimum concentration of the solution above which the micelles are formed is called
critical micelle concentration (CMC).
● Eg: For soaps CMC is 10-4 to 10-3 mol/L
QUICK REVIEW of previous classification
MECHANISM OF MICELLE FORMATION

● Soaps are the sodium or potassium salts of long chain fatty acids RCOO- Na (e.g. sodium
stearate, (CH3(CH2)16COO-Na+]) . When dissolved into water , it dissociates into RCOO- and Na+
ions

● The RCOO- ion consists of two parts – long hydrocarbon chain (also called non – polar tail) which
is hydrophobic (water repelling ) and a polar group COO- (polar head) which is hydrophilic
(water loving )
● When the concentration of sodium stearate is below its CMC, then it behaves as a normal
electrolyte and ionizes to give Na+ and C17H35COO- ions.

● At higher concentrations(CMC), RCOO- ions form a spherical shaped aggregate with the
hydrocarbon chains pointing towards the centre and the COO- part facing outward on the
surface of the sphere.

● This aggregate sphere is called ionic micelle.

● These micelles may have as many as 100 such ions.

● As the concentration exceeds the CMC, the hydrophobic end starts receding away from the solvent and approach each
other.

● The polar COO- part interacts with water.

● This leads to the formation of a cluster having the dimensions of a colloid particles.

● In each cluster a large number of stearate groups clump together in a spherical manner such that the hydrocarbon parts
interact with one another and the COO- groups remains projected in water.
CLEANSING ACTION OF SOAP
● It is due to the formation of micelle by the soap molecules in such a way that
the hydrophobic part is in the oil droplet(dirt) and the hydrophilic part
projects out ( attracted to water).
● The polar groups interact with water surrounded by soap ions is pulled from
the surface and pulled into water.

a) Grease on cloth b) Stearate ions arranging around c) grease droplets surrounded by

the grease droplet. Stearate ions (Micelle formation)
Cleansing action of soap
Preparation of Colloids
● Lyophilic colloids are colloids where the particles have a strong affinity for the liquid it is dispersed in.
● This makes these types of colloids very stable and easy to prepare.

● They can be prepared simply by mixing the particles with the liquid, sometime with the addition of heat.
● Eg: Mixing starch in hot water, gelatine in hot water
Preparation of lyophobic sols
1) Chemical Method

2) Electric Disintegration or Bredig’s Arc Method

3) Peptization
1) CHEMICAL METHOD
a) Colloidal solutions can be prepared by chemical reactions leading to formation of molecules by

a) Double decomposition: As2O3 + 3H2S → As2S3(sol) + 3H2O

b) Oxidation : SO2 + 2H2S → 3S(sol) + 2H2O

c)Reduction: 2 AuCl3 + 3 HCHO + 3H2O → 2Au(sol) + 3HCOOH + 6 HCl

d)Hydrolysis: FeCl3 + 3H2O → Fe(OH)3 (sol) + 3HCl

● These molecules then aggregate leading to formation of sols.

2. DISPERSION METHOD:
In this method, large particles of the substance are broken down into particles of colloidal size in the

presence of dispersion medium. These are stabilised by adding some suitable stabilizer.

a) ELECTRICAL DISINTEGRATION OR BREDIG'S ARC METHOD

An electric arc is struck between electrodes of the metal (whose colloidal solution is to be prepared)

immersed in the dispersion medium in a tank surrounded by an ice bath.

Contd…….. Bredig’s method
The intense heat produced by the arc vaporizes the metal, which then condenses
to form particles of colloidal size.

By this method, sols of metals such as gold, silver and platinum can be prepared.

Electric arc

Dispersion medium

Ice Bath
b) Peptization
● The process of converting a freshly prepared precipitate into a colloidal sol
by shaking it with the dispersion medium, in the presence of a small amount
of electrolyte, is called peptization.
● The electrolyte used is called the peptizing agent.

● The ppt adsorbs one of the ions of the electrolyte on its surface and develops
+ve or -ve charge.
● The development of charge on the ppt causes repulsion & it breaks down
into particles of colloidal size

eg: FeCl3 + 3H2O → Fe (OH)3 + 3HCl

 FeCl3 + 3H2O → Fe (OH)3 + 3HCl
● This freshly prepared precipitate when shaken with FeCl3 solution, adsorbs Fe3+ ions on its
surface.
● These Fe3+ ions repel each other,ppt becomes unstable and breaks down into particles of
colloidal size and the sol obtained is wine - red in colour. The peptizing agent in this case is
FeCl3
●
PEPTIZATION