Electrokinetic properties, colloidal stability and aggregation kinetics of polymer colloids

Dense packing and symmetry in small clusters of microspheres

When small numbers of colloidal microspheres are attached to the surfaces of liquid emulsion droplets, removing fluid from the droplets leads to packings of spheres that minimize the second moment of the mass distribution. The structures of the packings range from sphere doublets, triangles, and tetrahedra to exotic polyhedra not found in infinite lattice packings, molecules, or minimum-potential energy clusters. The emulsion system presents a route to produce new colloidal structures and a means to study how different physical constraints affect symmetry in small parcels of matter.

Electrokinetic parameters of colloidal model systems: analysis and comparison between dilute and concentrated dispersions

In the last decades, the interest of many scientists has been focused on the atypical electrokinetic behavior of charged colloidal systems since several studies have shown, in most cases; it is not so ideal as expected. Particularly, two interesting phenomena have not been clearly explained yet. First, the zeta potential magnitude does not decrease monotonically with increasing ionic strength, as expected according to the Gouy-Chapmann model predicts. Second, the zeta potential obtained from different techniques shows discrepancies. More specifically, the zeta potential obtained from streaming potential is lower (in absolute value) than that measured through electrophoretic mobility. However, a recent work has pointed out that these discrepancies seem to disappear if certain conditions (related with the surface charge density) are satisfied. This work also revealed that unexpected results are found when the electric conductivity was used. Spherical polystyrene particles of appropriate particle size and charge density are employed as polymeric colloidal model in the present work. Common and adequate models are used to make clear and easy our theoretical analysis and its interpretation. To test the surface conductance and ionic mobility effects at the solid-liquid interface, both water medium and alcohol-water mixtures are used.

Morphological Analysis of the Effects of Ions and Ultraviolet Light on Colloidal Monolayers at the Air–Water Interface

The formation of fractal aggregates under the external influence of ions or ultraviolet light has been observed in colloidal monolayers trapped at the air-water interface. A morphological analysis of this is reported in this paper. These fractals have many characteristics similar to those observed in other experiments where electrolyte was added to the bulk. However, they exhibit behavior, such as restructuring, particular to the external influence. In most cases the aggregating system displayed scaling analogous to spinodal decomposition, but with the measured fractal dimension (which depends slightly on the external influence) entering in place of the usual spatial dimension.

Constant bond breakup probability model for reversible aggregation processes

Reversible aggregation processes were simulated for systems of freely diffusing sticky particles. Reversibility was introduced by allowing that all bonds in the system may break with a given probability per time interval. In order to describe the kinetics of such aggregation-fragmentation processes, a fragmentation kernel was developed and then used together with the Brownian aggregation kernel for solving the corresponding kinetic master equation. The deduced fragmentation kernel considers a single characteristic lifetime for all bonds and accounts for the cluster morphology by averaging over all possible configurations for clusters of a given size. It became evident that the simulated cluster-size distributions could be described only when an additional fragmentation effectiveness was considered. Doing so, the stochastic solutions were in good agreement with the simulated data.

Two-Dimensional Colloidal Aggregation: Concentration Effects

Extensive numerical simulations of diffusion-limited (DLCA) and reaction-limited (RLCA) colloidal aggregation in two dimensions were performed to elucidate the concentration dependence of the cluster fractal dimension and of the different average cluster sizes. Both on-lattice and off-lattice simulations were used to check the independence of our results on the simulational algorithms and on the space structure. The range in concentration studied spanned 2.5 orders of magnitude. In the DLCA case and in the flocculation regime, it was found that the fractal dimension shows a linear-type increase with the concentration phi, following the law: d(f)=d(fo)+aphi(c). For the on-lattice simulations the fractal dimension in the zero concentration limit, d(fo), was 1.451+/-0.002, while for the off-lattice simulations the same quantity took the value 1.445+/-0.003. The prefactor a and exponent c were for the on-lattice simulations equal to 0.633+/-0.021 and 1.046+/-0.032, while for the off-lattice simulations they were 1.005+/-0.059 and 0.999+/-0.045, respectively. For the exponents z and z', defining the increase of the weight-average (S(w)(t)) and number-average (S(n)(t)) cluster sizes as a function of time, we obtained in the DLCA case the laws: z=z(o)+bphi(d) and z'=z'(o)+b'phi(d'). For the on-lattice simulations, z(o), b, and d were equal to 0.593+/-0.008, 0.696+/-0.068, and 0.485+/-0.048, respectively, while for the off-lattice simulations they were 0.595+/-0.005, 0.807+/-0.093, and 0.599+/-0.051. In the case of the exponent z', the quantities z'(o), b', and d' were, for the on-lattice simulations, equal to 0.615+/-0.004, 0.814+/-0.081, and 0.620+/-0.043, respectively, while for the off-lattice algorithm they took the values 0.598+/-0.002, 0.855+/-0.035, and 0.610+/-0.018. In RLCA we have found again that the fractal dimension, in the flocculation regime, shows a similar linear-type increase with the concentration d(f)=d(fo)+aphi(c), with d(fo)=1.560+/-0.004, a=0.342+/-0.039, and c=1.000+/-0.112. In this RLCA case it was not possible to find a straight line in the log-log plots of S(w)(t) and S(n)(t) in the aggregation regime considered, and no exponents z and z' were defined. We argue however that for sufficiently long periods of time the cluster averages should tend to those for DLCA and, therefore, their exponents should coincide with z and z' of the DLCA case. Finally, we present the bell-shaped master curves for the scaling of the cluster size distribution function and their evolution when the concentration increases, for both the DLCA and RLCA cases.

A review of factors affecting the performances of latex agglutination tests

The present review describes the different strategies followed to improve the performance of latex agglutination tests. The analysis is mainly focused on the diverse parameters that affect the final colloidal stability of the immunoprotein-latex system. These parameters include: the surface properties of polymer carriers; the different kind of antibodies usually employed; the use of BSA as stabilizer; the co-adsorption of various macromolecules (BSA, surfactants and lipids) and antibodies; recent approaches to colloidal stability at high ionic strengths due to hydration forces; and the covalent coupling of antibodies on functionalized latex particles. Special emphasis is given to the relation between electrophoretic mobility and the colloidal stability of the sensitized particles and how this knowledge can be utilized for a better understanding of the immunoagglutination kinetic.

Sequential Adsorption of Triton X-100 and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate onto Positively and Negatively Charged Polystyrene Latexes

Individual and sequential adsorption of the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 on cationic and anionic polystyrene latexes has been examined. Both latex samples, although charged differently (-16.2 and +11.0&mgr;C cm(-2)), must be considered hydrophobic polymer colloids. The adsorbed amounts of both surfactants on cationic and anionic latexes were found to be different as a consequence of the dissimilar interfacial properties of these two surfactants. In addition, a comparison between the two surfactants showed that SDS is more easily replaced than Triton X-100 when sequential adsorption on both latexes was studied. It was found that the electrophoretic mobility of surfactant latex complexes depends on the addition sequence order of both surfactants. In relation to colloidal stability, when a layer of a nonionic surfactant is adsorbed on the surface of latexes, the electrosteric mechanism explains the experimental results. If SDS is adsorbed the stabilization or unstabilization is a consequence of the changes in the electrical repulsion between particles. However, when both surfactants are adsorbed, the assumption of additivity is not correct; that is, the electrostatic repulsion (V(R)) and the steric repulsions (V(osm) and V(vr)) are not totally independent. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Primitive Model Electrophoresis

The electrophoresis of a spherical macroion is calculated with the new primitive model electrophoresis (PME) theory, which incorporates the ionic size. The results are compared with the classical theory of Wiersema, O'Brien, and White. The PME mobility, as a function of the macroion's surface charge (sigma) or zeta potential (zeta), is found to depend on the ionic valence, radius and concentration, and macroion hydrodynamical radius (A); i.e., it is not universal with kappaA, as predicted by the classical theory. The mobility is very nonlinear as a function of zeta. This behavior is related to the nonlinear dependence of zeta, as a function of sigma, when ionic size is included in the theory. In the classical theory zeta is a monotonic function of sigma. Important quantitative and/or qualitative differences between PME and the classical theory are found. However, in the limit of zero ionic diameter, and/or low salt concentration, and low macroion charge, the new theory reduces to the classical theory. The agreement of the PME with experimental data is very good. In particular, the prediction of reversed mobility is corroborated by recent experimental data. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Pattern Formation in Colloidal Monolayers at the Air–Water Interface

Using video-microscopic techniques, single layers (monolayers) of charged colloidal particles of 1- and 3-&mgr;m diameter were studied at an air-water interface. The particles normally arranged themselves in an ordered lattice-like array. However, occasionally, the monolayer formed loosely bonded crystallite clusters, here called mesostructures. The monolayer was exposed to a number of external influences: ions, electric current, and ultraviolet light. Depending on the perturbation applied, the lattice-like structure formed fractal aggregates, clusters (mesostructures), and two other particular structures, here referred to as striations and loops. The mechanisms of formation and implications of the different patterns are discussed. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

A comparative study between the adsorption of IgY and IgG on latex particles

The use of egg yolk antibodies (IgY) instead of IgG from mammalian species may present several advantages in the development of routine diagnostic immunoassays. On the one hand, the animal suffering is reduced, as antibodies are obtained directly from the egg. On the other hand, the use of IgY avoids the rheumatoid factor interference. The rheumatoid factor interacts with IgG molecules in many immunoassays causing false positive results. Despite these advantages, IgY antibodies are scarcely used. As part of an aim to develop a diagnostic test based on IgY-latex agglutination, a preliminary study on some characteristics of the IgY-latex complexes is carried out. In this work, protein adsorption and desorption, isoelectric point, electrokinetic mobility, and colloidal stability are analysed. Results are compared to those obtained by IgG. Interesting differences are observed (which mainly arise from the difference in molecular structure between IgY and IgG), suggesting that IgY is a more hydrophobic molecule than IgG. In addition, colloidal dispersions of IgY-covered latex particles are more stable (at pH 8) than those sensitized by IgG.

Colloidal aggregation with sedimentation: computer simulations

A computer model for colloidal aggregation is presented that considers both the Brownian motion and the gravitational drift experienced by the colloidal particles and clusters. It is shown that the aggregation crosses over from diffusion-limited aggregation to another type with a higher cluster fractal dimension, a speeding up followed by a slowing down of the aggregation rate, an algebraically decaying cluster size distribution, and a higher concentration required for gelation. Although these findings are in accordance with the experimental results, some interpretations are different.

An Experimental Test of the Ion Condensation Theory for Spherical Colloidal Particles

This paper deals with the notion of ion condensation for spherical colloids and, more specifically, with a recent model developed to predict effective charges (Y. Levin, M. C. Barbosa, and M. N. Tamashiro, Europhys. Lett. 41, 123, 1998). Electrophoretic mobility measurements (carried out for a set of well-characterized latexes) were used to find out to what extent this theory is able to accounts for: (i) the insensitivity of mobility to surface charge, and (ii) the small values of electrokinetic charge found at low ionic strength. As the Levin theory was developed assuming no added salt, a previous discussion about the effect of additional electrolyte was needed. Contrary to what other authors have reported, our results do not support the above-mentioned theory. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Stability in Colloidal Mixtures Containing Particles with a Large Disparity in Size

An experimental approach, based on turbidity measurements, is proposed for studies of the stability in colloidal mixtures containing particles with large disparity in size. The main advantage of this approach is that it permits investigations even under conditions of comparable particle number concentrations of the two colloidal populations. Binary mixtures containing a poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) latex and a Ludox AS-40 silica sol were investigated. The silica particles were much smaller than the latex ones. The experimental stability factors were compared with the theoretical values computed on the basis of the Kihira-Ryde-Matijevic model (J. Chem. Soc., Faraday Trans. 88(16), 2379 (1992)) for interaction between spherical particles with unevenly distributed surface charges. All the experimental results support the idea that, even when both sols are negatively charged, the small silica particles are adsorbed onto the latex surface. Under these conditions, the heteroaggregates, which are composed of PVAc cores surrounded with silica particles, can be modeled as PVAc particles having "modified" surface characteristics (i.e., average Stern potential and varying extents of the surface charge segregation). Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

Nonlinear effects in the electrophoresis of a spherical colloidal particle

The reduced electrophoretic mobility-reduced zeta potential relationship for a charged macroparticle is shown to be nonuniversal and to be highly nonlinear. In agreement with experimental results, a mobility reversal due to the macroion's charge inversion and a nonlinear dependence of the mobility on salt concentration is obtained.

The Surface Charge Density Influence on the Electrokinetic Properties of Model Colloids: Solvent Composition Effect

This paper deals with two problems found in electrokinetics, the anomalous behavior exhibited by most polymer colloids and the discrepancy between the zeta potentials obtained from different electrokinetic phenomena. Electrophoretic mobility for dilute dispersions and streaming current for concentrated dispersions are used to determine the zeta-potential. Two systems with different features (particle radius and surface charge density) have been studied. The influence of varsigma0 on the above-mentioned problems seems to be very important. In order to test this hypothesis, different nonaqueous media were used, which were significantly different in several liquid media properties (such as bulk conductivity, dielectric constant, and viscosity) and particle properties (such as surface charge density). Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Cluster Morphology of Protein-Coated Polymer Colloids

We report measurements on the aggregation processes in a colloidal suspension of polystyrene particles covered with F(ab')2 (immunoglobulin IgG fragment) performed by static and dynamic light scattering. In order to study the cluster morphology of aggregates, the fractal dimension is obtained from the dependence of the scattered intensity on the scattering wave number. The stability domains of bare and protein-coated polystyrene particles were examined by plotting the stability ratio as a function of electrolyte concentration. The stability results have been explained using a modified Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek theory to describe the interparticle interaction. The observed change in the fractal dimension can be explained by the existence of a minimum separation distance between coagulated particles (restructuring). This minimum distance is attributed to the layer of hydrated ions and water molecules adsorbed on the particle surface. Our results are in agreement with the reversible-growth model of W. Y. Shih, I. A. Aksay, and R. Kikuchi (Phys. Rev. A. 36, 5015 (1987)) and they were supported by transmission electron microscopy observation. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Influence of Size on Electrokinetic Behavior of Phosphatidylserine and Phosphatidylethanolamine Lipid Vesicles

The aim of this study was to examine the electrokinetic properties of liposomes containing either phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) or phosphatidylserine (PS). Zeta potential was determined by laser-Doppler microelectrophoresis. The presence of PE enhanced the slight negative charge on the phosphate group of phosphatidylcholine. A linear relation between zeta potential and PE concentration was found. Absolute values of zeta potential were higher in PS liposomes and showed an exponential dependence on the PS content. The electrophoretic mobility depended not only on the percentage of aminophospholipid but also on the size of vesicles. This behavior can be explained by the relaxation effect. From geometrical considerations, it was possible to calculate the theoretical surface charge densities. Comparing experimental with theoretical values, an underestimation of zeta potential was found by the electrokinetic classic theory in the experimental conditions used. Copyright 1998 Academic Press.

Self-Preservation of the Drop Size Distribution Function and Variation in the Stability Ratio for Rapid Coalescence of a Polydisperse Emulsion in a Simple Shear Field

Coalescence of oil-in-water emulsion droplets in a simple shear flow produced by a Couette device is considered. A phase Doppler anemometer was used to measure the droplet size distribution as a function of time for shear rates ranging from 55 to 213 s-1 and for sodium chloride salt concentrations from 0.095 to 0.6 M. The initial droplet size distribution was log-normal. During the coalescence process, the size distribution was self-preserving in accordance with D. L. Swift and S. K. Friedlander's analysis [J. Colloid Sci. 19, 621 (1964)]. In the limiting case of negligible repulsive force due to the electric double layer, the calculated stability ratios, corrected for droplet polydispersity, agree well with the theoretical analyses of G. R. Zeichner and W. R. Schowalter [AIChE J. 23, 243 (1977)] and D. L. Feke and W. R. Schowalter [J. Fluid Mech. 133, 17 (1983)] for the case of solid particle aggregation. The good agreement between the stability ratios for the case of coalescence of droplets in the present study and those for aggregation of solid particles indicates that resistance to film deformation and thinning present in the case of coalescence is not important compared with the collision process. Copyright 1998 Academic Press. Copyright 1998Academic Press

Chloroactivated latex particles for covalent coupling of antibodies. Application to immunoassays

The aim of the present work is to prepare and characterize a functionalized latex with chloromethyl groups on the surface and to perform the covalent coupling of anti-human serum albumin (a-HSA) IgG protein. The chloromethyl-styrene latex (CMS) was synthesized by means of a core-shell emulsion polymerization in a batch reactor. The monodisperse-obtained latex was characterized by determining the diameter (TEM and PCS), the surface charge density (conductometric and potentiometric titration), the amount of chloromethyl groups on the surface (hydrolysis reaction), and the stability vs electrolyte concentration (turbidity measurements). Electrokinetic characterization was also performed (electrophoretic mobility versus pH and ionic strength). IgG was chemically bound to the latex particles under different sensitization and block-stabilization conditions. Colloidal stability of complexes was studied to select an immunolatex suitable for the development of latex immunoassays. The final part of this work consists of a study of the immunoreactivity of the IgG-latex complexes at different pH and ionic strength, in particular under physiological conditions. The results show that chemically bound IgG to chloromethyl latex provides an IgG-latex complex suitable for application in immunodiagnosis tests.

Measurement of Absolute Coagulation Rate Constants for Colloidal Particles: Comparison of Single and Multiparticle Light Scattering Techniques

The absolute coagulation rate constants of monodisperse spherical colloids in aqueous suspension were measured at the early stage of the coagulation processes by using two different techniques: single particle light scattering (SPLS) and simultaneous static and dynamic light scattering (SLS + DLS). Single particle light scattering determines the cluster-size distribution directly by counting the number of different clusters during the coagulation process and therefore can be used to test the kinetic growth model used for obtaining the coagulation rate constants. The simultaneous static and dynamic light-scattering method is an in-situ experiment, where the average cluster size is estimated by simultaneous static and dynamic light-scattering measurements at different angles on a multiangle fiber-optics-based setup. A combined evaluation of the static and dynamic light-scattering data permits the determination of the absolute rate constants without the explicit use of light scattering form factors and hydrodynamic properties for dimers. In this paper, we compare results obtained with both techniques. Good agreement was found for the absolute coagulation rate constants of two different latex particle suspensions. Furthermore, we show that the two techniques complement one another and the limitations of the first are overcome by the second and vice versa. Copyright 1997Academic Press

A Comparative Study on the Adsorption of Triton X-100 and Tween 20 onto Latexes with Different Interfacial Properties

In this paper we have studied the adsorption of two nonionic surfactants, Triton X-100 and Tween 20 (polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate) onto latexes with different interfacial properties. Four different samples of polystyrene beads were used in this study. A hydrophobic sample was prepared by conventional emulsion polymerization of styrene. Hydrophilic polymer colloids were prepared by the emulsifier-free emulsion copolymerization of styrene and 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate in different proportions and acrylic acid. In all cases potassium persulfate was used as initiator. In order to consider the mechanism of the adsorption at the different liquid-solid interfaces, adsorption isotherms under different pH and ionic strength conditions were performed. Electrokinetic characterization and colloidal stability of bare hydrophobic and hydrophilic latexes and the surfactant-latex complexes were compared to understand the effect of the nonionic surfactant on the electric double layer structure. The results showed that Tween 20 and Triton X-100 are adsorbed in the same way on surfaces with different polarity but in different amounts. Hydrophobic interaction is the main driving force in the adsorption. The effect of the adsorption on the electrokinetic properties and stability of the latexes was found to be different for hydrophobic and hydrophilic latexes as a consequence of the dissimilar interfacial properties of these two latex samples.