Complex fluids at interfaces and interfaces of complex fluids

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dc.contributor.advisorChapman, Walter Gen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWong, Michael Sen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberYakonson, Boris Ien_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberVeatch, Sarah Len_US
dc.creatorNouri Dariani, Mariamen_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-02-03T21:38:51Zen_US
dc.date.available2016-02-03T21:38:51Zen_US
dc.date.created2015-05en_US
dc.date.issued2015-02-02en_US
dc.date.submittedMay 2015en_US
dc.date.updated2016-02-03T21:38:51Zen_US
dc.description.abstractThe present thesis deals with two independent projects and is consequently divided into two parts. The first part details a computational study of the fluid structure of ring-shaped molecules and their positional and orientational molecular organizations in different degrees of confinement, while the second part concerns an experimental study of phase behavior and interfacial phenomena in confined colloid-polymer systems. In the first part, ring-shaped molecules are studied using Monte Carlo simulation techniques in one, two and three dimensions. The model used to describe ring-shaped molecules is composed of hard-spheres linked together to form planar rigid rings. For rings of various sizes and for a wide range of densities, positional and orientational orderings are reported in forms of pair distribution functions of the ring centers and correlation functions of the ring normal orientations. Special emphasis is given to understand structural formation at interfaces, i.e., the structure and orderings of these molecules when they are confined to two dimensions. In a plane but the rings themselves are free to rotate around all axes, nematic ordering is observed at sufficiently high densities. In the second part, phase equilibria of confined aqueous colloid-polymer systems are studied experimentally using fluorescence microscopy. Aqueous mixtures of fluorescent polystyrene spheres and polyacrylamide are confined between a glass slide and a coverslip. The phase diagram is determined as a function of the colloidal and polymer concentrations. Liquid-liquid phase coexistence between a colloid-rich phase and a polymer-rich phase occurs at intermediate polymer concentrations, while liquid-solid phase coexistence between a polymer-rich liquid and a colloid-rich solid is observed at high polymer concentrations. Interfacial thickness and tension of the interface between these coexisting phases are measured using image analysis techniques. It is also observed that the colloid-rich solid and liquid domains coarsen mainly by Ostwald ripening.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationNouri Dariani, Mariam. "Complex fluids at interfaces and interfaces of complex fluids." (2015) Diss., Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/88337">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/88337</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/88337en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectliquid crystalsen_US
dc.subjectMonte Carlo Simulationen_US
dc.subjectconfinementen_US
dc.subjectring moleculesen_US
dc.subjectinterfacesen_US
dc.subjectcritical phenomenaen_US
dc.subjectOstwald ripeningen_US
dc.subjectstatistical thermodynamicsen_US
dc.subjectdepletionen_US
dc.subjectphase behavioren_US
dc.titleComplex fluids at interfaces and interfaces of complex fluidsen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentChemical and Biomolecular Engineeringen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineEngineeringen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelDoctoralen_US
thesis.degree.nameDoctor of Philosophyen_US
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