SCHOOL OF CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL & MATERIALS
ENGINEERING
The University of Oklahoma
Norman, Oklahoma
2004 – 2005 Seminar Series
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DR. PONISSERIL SOMASUNDRAN
LA VON DUDDLESSON KRUMB PROFESSOR
DIRECTOR, INDUSTRY/UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR SURFACTANTS
LANGMUIR CENTER FOR COLLOIDS AND INTERFACES
COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Will present a seminar on
“SURFACTANT/POLYMER INTERACTIONS WITH SOLIDS:
NANOSTRUCTURE OF ADSORBED LAYERS AND
ITS ROLE IN WETTABILITY, DISPERSION,
FLOTATION, DEPOSITION AND SOLUBLIZATION”
A bombardier beetle squirting benzoquinone poison or a “touch me not” plant folding up rapidly upon
being attacked or a lotus leaf rolling off water beads are examples of nanostructures in nature that
provide inspiration for developing new classes of nanomaterials. In this talk, applications of such
nanostructures for control of wettability, flocculation/dispersion, deposition, solubilization and biosurface
modification will be explored following a discussion of methods developed for monitoring
surfactant/polymer/protein aggregates in solutions and at solid/liquid interfaces. Techniques used include
both spectroscopic techniques (fluorescence, ESR, NMR, Resonance Raman, surface plasmon resonance),
advanced analytical (Analytical ultracentrifuge, ultrafiltration), scattering (neutron, light) techniques along
with conventional techniques used to measure turbidity, surface charge and hydrophobicity.
In all cases, in addition to adsorption density, the nanostructure of the adsorbed layer determines the
interfacial properties of particles in these systems. Thus depending on the orientation of the adsorbed
species, flocculation or dispersion of suspensions can be obtained at the same polymer adsorption density
and hydrophobicity or hydrophylicity of surfaces can be obtained at the same adsorption density of
surfactant or hydrophobically modified polymers. In general while the wettability changes of particles
correlate with hemimicellization of surfactants on them, stability of suspensions correlate with
conformational changes of adsorbed polymers and proteins on surfaces. In this talk the role of
nanostructure of adsorbed surfactant/polymer/protein layers in controlling various interfacial phenomena
and techniques for obtaining desired colloidal performance will be discussed.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2004
COOKIES AND COFFEE -- 3:15 P.M.
SEMINAR -- 3:30 P.M.
SARKEYS ENERGY CENTER, ROOM M-204
THIS IS A REQUIRED SEMINAR FOR CHE 5971