Particle tracking microrheology: viscosity of polymer monolayers at the air/water interface

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

Genova, Italy

Workshop; FASES: Fundamental and Applied studies of emulsion stability Project. Plenary Meeting and Workshop; 2007

CNR - Istituto per l’Energetica e le Interfasi (IENI), ESA MAP-FASES ESA Topical Team “Foams and Emulsions Concerted Actions”

Video-microscopy can 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. We have measured by particle tracking the surface viscosity of two polymers confined at the interface as examples of applicability, one in bad-solvent condition (P4HS) and the other in good-solvent condition (PTBA).