Colloid and Surface Chemistry

Colloid Science is an interdisciplinary intersection of branches of chemistry and physics. A colloid system can be described as a stable dispersion of particles in a continuous medium of a different composition which can be solid, liquid, or gas. Solid dispersions, emulsion, foams, gels are examples of colloidal systems. The size of dispersed particles in a colloid system is between 1 and 1000 nm (at least in one dimension), thus, colloid science has a huge overlap with nano-science and nano- technology. Colloid science covers systems occupying an intermediate position (with respect to particle size) between true solutions of low molecular weight substances and suspensions.

Surface Chemistry is closely related to Interface and Colloid science and has a broad range of technological fields such as surfactants and self-assembly, surface modification, heterogeneous catalysis, fuel cells, nano-technology, adsorption, etc. Surface chemistry can be defined as the study of surface properties and reactions at interfaces, which aims at surface modification to alter a wide range of surface characteristics such as roughness, hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, surface charge, biocompatibility, and reactivity.

Colloid science and Surface Chemistry have many applications in the chemical industry, pharma- ceuticals, biotechnology, ceramics, minerals, nanotechnology, and microfluidics, among others.

Active Researchers: Effect of surfactants on the dynamics of drop/bubble breakage and coalescence as well as mass transfer operations in multiphase flows ( Dr. Fouad Azizi )

Surface modification for biomedical engineering ( Dr. Rami Mhanna )

Self-assembly of amphiphilic polymers for drug delivery applications ( Dr. Walid Saad )

Surfactants and their applications ( Dr. Ali Tehrani )