Course detail

Physical Chemistry of Colloidal Dispersions

FCH-MA_FCDAcad. year: 2025/2026

Classification and properties of disperse systems: kinetic and dynamic properties of disperse systems.
Thermal motion dynamics and consequences: osmosis, diffusion, concentration fluctuations.
Sedimentation and sedimentation analysis. Viscosity of disperse systems.
Elastic light scattering, quasi-elastic light scattering.
Macromolecular systems: classifiacation, configuration and stereoregularity.
Conformation statistics, freely-rotating chain, freely-jointed chain, constrained chain, equivalent chain, persistent length of chain, domain of macromolecule clusters.
Thermodynamics of polymer solutions, combinatoric entropy and enthalpy of mixing, Flory-Huggins equation, interaction parameter.
Phase behavior of polymer solutions, the critical dissolving temperature, the critical composition.
Diluted polymer solutions, random coil conformation, Flory-Fox equation, hydrodynamic properties of polymer solutions, osmotic pressure.
Polyelectrolytes: conformation, electrostatic effects, the ionic atmosphere, membrane and osmotic equilibria.
Macromolecular gels, covalently crosslinked polymers, gelation, ionogenic gels, swelling behavior, thermodynamics of elasticity, rheological properties, physically crosslinked polymers.

Language of instruction

English

Number of ECTS credits

6

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Guarantor

doc. Ing. Petr Sedláček, Ph.D.

Department

Institute of Physical and Applied Chemistry (ÚFSCH)

Offered to foreign students

The home faculty only

Entry knowledge

physical chemistry, mathemetics, macromolecular chemistry, rheology

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Written and oral exam.
compulsory attendance on seminars

Aims

The aim of the course Physical Chemistry of Dispersions is to explain kinetic properties of disperse systems, thermodynamics of polymer solutions and their applications in technologies and other fields.
Students will obtain the theoretical knowledge of polymer physics and physical chemistry of macromolecular systems.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

Not applicable.

Recommended reading

Not applicable.

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme NPCP_CHCHTE Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory
  • Programme NKCP_CHCHTE Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory

  • Programme NPCP_CHMA Master's

    specialization CHBL , 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional
    specialization BF , 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory

  • Programme NPAP_ENVI Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

26 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Petr Sedláček, Ph.D.

Syllabus

1. Disperse systems: Classification and properties.
2. Thermal motion and its concequences.
3. Sedimentation and sedimentation analysis. Viscosity of disperse systems.
4. Elastic light scattering,
5. Experimental evaluation of elastic (static) light scattering. Quasi-elastic (dynamic) light scattering.
6. Macromolecules, conformation statistics, freely-jointed and freely-rotated chain.
7. Constrained chain, local conformations, equivalent chain, persistent length of the chain.
8. Thermodynamics of polymer solutions, combinatoric entropy of mixing.
9. Enthalpy of mixing, Flory-Huggins equation.
10. Phase behavior of polymer solutions. Diluted polymer solutions, random coil conformation.
11. Flory-Fox equation, hydrodynamic properties of polymer solutions, osmotic pressure, polydispersity, polyelectrolytes, membrane and osmotic equillibria.
12. Macromolecular gels, covalently crosslinked gels, ionogenic gels, swelling behavior, physically crosslinked gels.

Exercise

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

doc. Ing. Petr Sedláček, Ph.D.