Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Rheology of Interfacial Layers

3. Surface Rheology of Adsorption Layers

The work to this topic is focused on shear and dilational rheology of two-dimensional layers at liquid interfaces and on interfacial relaxation processes.

The shear rheology studies with a torsion shear rheometer are performed with

  • adsorbed and spread protein layers
  • adsorbed mixed protein-surfactant layers
  • spread surfactant layers
  • mixed protein-lipid layers (model lung surfactants)
  • layers formed by nano-particles and surfactants


The studies of the dilational rheology is based on different techniques

  • transient relaxations (pendent drop methods)
  • oscillating barrier method (0.01 to 1 Hz)
  • longitudinal wave damping (0.1 to 15 Hz)
  • capillary wave damping (10 to 500 Hz)
  • oscillating drop and bubble method (0.01 to 200 Hz)

Systems studied with these techniques are

  • surfactant and protein adsorption layers
  • mixed protein-surfactant systems
  • micellar surfactant solutions
  • lung surfactant dispersions
  • biologically relevant liquids (blood, urine)

Main targets of research on this topic are

  • performance of new experiments for mixed surfactant systems
  • performance of new experiments for mixed surfactant protein systems
  • development of new theoretical models for viscoelastic interfacial layers


This work is performed in close collaboration with the groups of Giuseppe Loglio from Florence, Boris Noskov from St. Petersburg, Valentin B. Fainerman from Donetsk, James Ferri from Lafayette, Libero Liggieri from Genoa, and Martin Leser from Lausanne.

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