UE Surfaces and interfaces

Goal: As the size of systems decreases, surface effects become more important. The nano- scale is also the scale at which surface effects dominate over bulk effects. This course introduces the main notions to adress the specific properties and the organization of matter at surfaces from a physical, chemical and biological point of view.

Content:
- notions on molecular and surface interactions. The hydrophobic effect
- thermodynamics of surfaces ; surface tension
- capillarity, wetting, contact angle
- surfactants,  micelles, self-assemblies and lyotropic phases
- Gibbs monolayers, Langmuir-Blodgett films
- introduction to biologic membranes

Thermodynamics.