Stability and dynamics of thin films of simple and complex fluids
Universität des Saarlandes,
Saarbrücken
Our group is affiliated with the
experimental physics faculty, and specialises in soft matter
physics. The main field of research is the stability and
dynamics of thin films of simple and complex fluids, probed via
atomic force microscopy, imaging ellipsometry, surface plasmon
resonance spectroscopy, and optical microscopy. The aim of this
research is to understand fluid flow at the solid/liquid
interface on a nano- and micro scale, which depends on the
surface characteristics of the substrate (roughness, structure,
surface energy), the rheological properties of the liquid and
the interaction parameters between the liquid, substrate and
environment. These parameters and their influences are
characterised in regard to the stability of lacquer coatings,
the adsorption of biopolymers, or the rheological properties of
complex fluids for instance.
Additionally we are interested in
the analysis of data from imaging techniques, which enables the
quantitative comparison of, for instance, roughness patterns.
Theoretical works of cooperating scientific workgroups
correlate with our experimental observations, with our results
being more frequently applied to technical domains such as the
lacquer or semiconductor industries.
