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Introduction to Complex Fluids

(CLL771)

Lecture 1

Introduction to types of soft matter

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Free surfactant-stabilized foam film
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Characteristic size domain of soft matter

Types of soft matter

• Molecular
• Surfactants

Self-assemble in a variety of structures

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Types of soft matter contd.

• Molecular (contd.)
• Liquid crystals

• Biomolecules

Types of soft matter contd.

• Molecular (contd.)
• Polymers

• Gels

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Types of soft matter contd.

• Dispersions
• Colloidal suspensions
- Spherical

Gold nanoparticles

Semiconductor
microspheres

Latex: polymer spheres Silica on polymer

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Types of soft matter contd.

• Dispersions
• Colloidal suspensions (contd.)
- Cubes, polyhedrons etc.

Gold and silver nanoparticles

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Types of soft matter contd.

• Dispersions
• Colloidal suspensions (contd.)
- Rods and fibers

Types of soft matter contd.

• Dispersions (contd.)
• Foams
• Emulsions

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Different types of colloids

Medium/Phases Dispersed Phase
Gas Liquid Solid
Dispersion/ Gas None Liquid Aerosol Solid Aerosol
Continuous (All gases are mutually Ex. Fog Ex. Smoke
medium miscible)
Liquid Foam Emulsion Sol
Ex. Shaving cream Ex. Milk Ex. Blood
Solid Solid Foam Gel Solid sol
Ex. Styrofoam Ex. Gelatin Ex. Stained glass

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Common day examples of soft matter

Surfactants?

1. Adhesives 2. Inks 3.

Polymers and gels?

1. Plastic materials 2. Tyres 3.

Colloidal suspensions?

1. Food 2. Cosmetics 3.

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What makes soft matter different?

Crystalline solids SOFT MATTER Simple liquids

Short-range
Ordering Long-range
(propensity to None or short-range
self-assemble)

Kinetic energy
<< k BT » k BT > k BT

Cannot flow Can be induced to flow Flow readily

Rheology
under certain conditions
(elastic) (viscous)
(viscoelastic)
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Intermolecular interactions

Govern the macroscopic

properties of the system Hard-sphere potential

Most common approximation:

Lennard-Jones potential

A B
V (r ) = + -
r 12 r 6
Long-range attraction
Strong short-range corresponding to the
repulsion dispersion forces

What does the high compressibility in liquids imply? Repulsive force short-ranged and strong.
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Magnitude of bonds compared to thermal

energies

Intermolecular forces Magnitude comparison Nature of interaction

to thermal energy
Van der Waals forces ~ kB T Non-directional
Ionic interactions* ~ 100 kBT Non-directional
Covalent bonds 30 to 100 kBT Directional
Metallic bonds 30 to 100 kBT Somewhat directional
Hydrogen bonds 25 to 100 kBT Directional
Hydrophobic interactions ~ kB T Non-directional

*Usually lower due to screening effects caused by the presence of free ions.

kBT = 10-20 J

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Characteristics of soft matter (contd.)

Dynamics
Governed by Brownian motion,

x = 2Dt
x, root mean square displacement
D, difusion coefficient
Random walk

k BT
D=
f Frictional coefficient

f = 6phR (for spherical particles as given by Stokes’ law)

k BT
D= Typical diffusion coefficients for molecules in liquids ≈ 10-9 m2 s-1
6ph R
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Characteristics of soft matter (contd.)

Thermodynamic stability?
• Lyophillic: “Solvent loving” (for water = “hydrophillic”).
• Thermodynamically stable
• Reversible dispersion process
DG = DH – T DS < 0

• Lyophobic: “Solvent hating” (for water = “hydrophobic”).

• Thermodynamically unstable (but may be kinetically stable)
• Irreversible aggregation
DG = DH – T DS > 0

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Characteristics of soft matter (contd.)

• Kinetic stability: Particle-particle interactions ?
• Surface charge
• Surface properties
• Osmotic pressure
p = R T Cp (1 + B22 Cp + ...)
• Stability
Ø Flocculation (reversible)

Ø Aggregation (irreversible)

Ø Coalescence (emulsions)
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