Effect of Brownian Motion on the Interaction of Polymer- Coated Microspheres

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Total internal-reflection microscopy (TIMR) is a technique developed by the P.I. and his co-authors to measure absolute distances between a submicron particle and a solid wall, the potential energy profiles and diffusion coefficients. An improvement of TIMR performance is proposed by exerting radiation pressure on the microsphere in order to expand the area of application as well as the method efficiency. The TIRM will be used to study the motion and corresponding forces (steric repulsion, bridging forces) of a single polymer coated microsphere in the proximity of a wall. The proposed techniques complements the surface force measurement approach in a specific range of application for colloidal dispersions. This project aims to an improved TIMR technique, which would allow to study fundamental interaction mechanisms and stability problems in colloidal systems.