Exercise in physical chemistry: Surface tension and adsorption

This exercise is designed to acquaint the students with the basic principles of surface chemistry. It is suitable for advanced undergraduate students. Surface chemistry provides the key conceptual framework for both lifeand nanoscience, where, following the decreased size of the systems under study, the properties are extensively determined by the interfacial chemistry of such systems. The rapid growth of these fields have created a demand for chemists with good knowledge of surface chemistry. Yet, surface chemistry is also one of the cornerstones in a wide variety of industries, ranging from pharmaceutical, cleaning and food industry to printing and paper industry. The students measure the surface tension of various concentrations of aqueous SDS (Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate) and use this information to study adsorption phenomena. The exercise requires about 2 hours of laboratory time, and approximately 4-8 hours for the data-analysis and preparation of a laboratory report.