Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 23, 2026

Quantitative and Qualitative Examination of Particle-particle Interactions Using Colloidal Probe Nanoscopy
Published on: July 18, 2014
Forces between different latex particles in aqueous electrolyte solutions measured with the colloidal probe technique
F Javier Montes Ruiz-Cabello1, Mohsen Moazzami-Gudarzi2, Magdalena Elzbieciak-Wodka3
1Biocolloid and Fluid Physics Group, Applied Physics Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Campus de Fuentenueva s/n, Granada, 18071, Spain.
Abstract:
In this article, a compilation of results on direct force measurements between colloidal particles in monovalent salts carried out with the colloidal probe technique based on Atomic Force Microscopy was presented. The interaction forces between similar and dissimilar particles was studied and it was concluded that, in general, these force profiles may be satisfactorily quantified by the DLVO theory down to distances of few nanometers. However, in the specific case where the charge of one of the involved particle is close to neutral, it was found that the surface potential of this particle may change its sign depending on the sign of charge of the opposite particle. In this respect, the assumption that the surface potential of a particle is a property only related to the particle surface features and the bulk properties is called into question. Microsc. Res. Tech. 80:144-152, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Related Concept Videos
The Colloidal State
The Electrical Double Layer
Theory of Strong Electrolytes
Capillary Electrophoresis: Instrumentation
Electrochemical Systems

