There is, I think, something ethereal about i —the square root of minus one. I remember first hearing about it at school. It seemed an odd beast at that time—an intruder hovering on the edge of reality.

Usually familiarity dulls this sense of the bizarre, but in the case of i it was the reverse: over the years the sense of its surreal nature intensified. It seemed that it was impossible to write mathematics that described the real world in …

I and i

http://experimentationlab.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/AFMImages/butt_AFM.pdf

Force measurements with the atomic force microscope: Technique, interpretation and applications

Emulsions stabilised solely by colloidal particles

We present an approach to fabricate solid capsules with precise control of size, permeability, mechanical strength, and compatibility. The capsules are fabricated by the self-assembly of colloidal particles onto the interface of emulsion droplets. After the particles are locked together to form elastic shells, the emulsion droplets are transferred to a fresh continuous-phase fluid that is the same as that inside the droplets. The resultant structures, which we call "colloidosomes," are hollow, elastic shells whose permeability and elasticity can be precisely controlled. The generality and robustness of these structures and their potential for cellular immunoisolation are demonstrated by the use of a variety of solvents, particles, and contents.

/pdf/colloidosomes-selectively-permeable-capsules-composed-of-147a06bk70.pdf

Colloidosomes: Selectively Permeable Capsules Composed of Colloidal Particles

1: Magnetic Particles: Preparation, Properties and Applications: M. Ozaki. 2: Maghemite (gamma-Fe2O3): A Versatile Magnetic Colloidal Material C.J. Serna, M.P. Morales. 3: Dynamics of Adsorption and Oxidation of Organic Molecules on Illuminated Titanium Dioxide Particles Immersed in Water M.A. Blesa, R.J. Candal, S.A. Bilmes. 4: Colloidal Aggregation in Two-Dimensions A. Moncho-Jorda, F. Martinez-Lopez, M.A. Cabrerizo-Vilchez, R. Hidalgo Alvarez, M. Quesada-PMerez. 5: Kinetics of Particle and Protein Adsorption Z. Adamczyk.

Surface and Colloid Science

/pdf/two-dimensional-crystallization-1vb1wohaca.pdf

Two-dimensional crystallization

https://www.lcpe.uni-sofia.bg/publications/2000/pdf/2000-01-PK.pdf

Capillary interactions between particles bound to interfaces, liquid films and biomembranes.

This work is devoted to a special kind of capillary interaction, which differs from the common lateral capillary forces between floating particles. It appears between particles protruding from a liquid film and ita physical origin is the capillary rise of the liquid along the surface of each particle. Special attention is paid to the case when the position of the contact line is fixed. The resulting capillary force is compared with that at fixed contact angle. It is demonstrated that the two alternative approaches to the calculation of capillary interactions, the force and the energetical one, are equivalent. When the liquid film is thin, the disjoining pressure affects the capillary interactions between particles attached to the film surfaces. The appearance of this effect is studied quantitatively for two specified systems modeling globular proteins in aqueous film on mercury substrate and membrane proteins incorporated in a lipid bilayer. For both systems the capillary forces appear to be strong enough to engender two-dimensional particle aggregation and ordering. This is a possible explanation of a number of experimental observations of such effects.

https://www.lcpe.uni-sofia.bg/files/publications/1994/1994-04-PK.pdf

Capillary forces between colloidal particles

‘Capillary forces’ are interactions between particles mediated by fluid interfaces. Recent advances in this field have been achieved by experiments and theory on lateral capillary forces, which are due to the overlap of menisci formed around separate particles attached to an interface. In particular, we should mention the cases of ‘finite menisci’ and ‘capillary multipoles’. The capillary-bridge forces were investigated in relation to capillary condensation and cavitation, surface-force measurements and antifoaming by oily drops. The studies on colloidal self-assembly mediated by capillary forces developed in several promising directions. The obtained structures of particles have found numerous applications.

https://dce.uni-sofia.bg/files/publications/2001/2001-03-PK.pdf

Peter A. Kralchevsky

Papers

Two-dimensional crystallization

Capillary interactions between particles bound to interfaces, liquid films and biomembranes.

Capillary forces between colloidal particles

Capillary forces and structuring in layers of colloid particles

A possible mechanism of stabilization of emulsions by solid particles