Physics and Chemistry of Interfaces

This general yet comprehensive introduction to the field focuses on the essential concepts rather than specific details, on intuitive understanding rather than learning facts. The text reflects the many facets of this discipline by linking fundamentals with applications. The theory behind important concepts is backed by scientific-engineering aspects, as well as by a wide range of high-end applications. Examples of applications from biotechnology to microelectronics are used to illustrate the basic concepts. New to this third edition are topics as second harmonic generation spectroscopy, surface diffusion, atomic layer deposition, superlubricity, and bioadhesion. At the same time, the discussions of liquid surfaces, the Marangoni effect, electric double layers, measurement of surface forces, wetting, and adsorption have been updated. The number and variety of exercises are increased and the references are updated.

From the Contents:

• Introduction
• Liquid Surfaces
• Thermodynamics of Interfaces
• Charged Interfaces and the Electric Double Layer
• Surface Forces
• Contact Angle Phenomena and Wetting
• Solid Surfaces
• Adsorption
• Surface Modification
• Friction, Lubrication, and Wear
• Surfactants, Micelles, Emulsions, and Foams
• Thin Films on Surfaces of Liquids
• Solutions to Exercises
• Analysis of Diffraction Patterns

Hans-jür genButt is Director at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz, Germany. He studied physics in Hamburg and Göttingen, then joined the Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt. After receiving his Ph.D. in 1989 he went as a post-doc to Santa Barbaro, California, where he used the newly developed atomic force microscope. From 1990 to 1995 he did research back in Germany at the Max-Planck-Institute for Biophysics. In 1996 he became associate professor for physical chemistry at the University of Mainz, three years later full professor at the University of Siegen. Only two years after that he joined the Max-Planck-Institute of Polymer Research in Mainz and became director for Experimental Physics.

Karlheinz Graf is Professor for Physical Chemistry at the University of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Niederrhein) in Krefeld. He studied chemistry at the Universities of Erlangen and Mainz, where he graduated in Physical Chemistry. Afterwards he spent a postdoc year at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has served as project leader at the Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research, where he worked on droplet evaporation, the structuring of polymer surfaces, and force measurements between a colloid particle and a Langmuir monolayer with a homemade AFM. Afterwards he was acting Professor in the Physical and in the Analytical Chemistry work groups of the University of Siegen and, later on, a staff scientist at the Gutmann group at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

Michael Kappl graduated in physics at the Technical University of Munich received his Ph.D. degree at the Max-Planck-Institute of Biophysics in Frankfurt and worked at the Universities of Mainz and Siegen. Since 2002 he is project leader at the Max-Planck-Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz. His research activities include surface forces, wetting at the microscale and mechanical characterization of micro- and nano-objects. Since 2007 he is also head of the focused ion beam laboratory at the MPI for Polymer Research.