Monolayers of latex particles: structure, dynamics and their use as probes for polymer monolayer microrheology

L. BONALES; H. RITACCO; F. ORTEGA; R-G RUBIO

Cracow, Poland

Conferencia; ECIS. 22nd Conference of the European Colloid and Interface Society. WorkShop Colloid and Interface Science for nanotechnology.; 2008

Institute of Catalysis and Surface Chemistry Jagiellonian University, Faculty of Chemistry

In the present work we have studied the structure of  latex  micro-particles at the water/oil interface using videomicroscopy. Latex  particles of diameters ranging from 1 to 5 um have been used. The density of the monolayers has been modified from the dilute (gas-    like) to the concentrated (solid-like) state. From the images it is possible to calculate directly the radial distribution function, g(r), as well as orientational correlation functions that give a quantitative information about the long-range order of the monolayer.Video-microscopy can also be used to follow the Brownian  trajectories of the particles at the interface. From the trajectories it is possible to calculate the diffusion coefficient, and using the appropriate hydrodynamic theories one may calculate the interfacial shear viscosity.