Solid Surface Zeta Potential: Industrial Applications, Challenges, and Solutions
In this webinar recording, Dr. Christine Körner, an esteemed guest expert from Anton Paar, will be talking through the fundamentals of Zeta Potential analysis, and highlighting its industrial benefits to a variety of technological applications.
Solid surface zeta potential is commonly used as a representative metric for surface charge and gives direct information on processes happening at the solid-liquid interface of a material. This interface has critical implications for a variety of sample types.
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This Webinar will Answer:
- What is zeta potential? How is it related to surface charge?
- How do you measure zeta potential? What tools are needed?
- What is the industrial significance of this analysis?
Relevant Applications for Zeta Potential Analysis:
- Membrane Technology
The surface charge of a membrane gives direct information on electrostatic interactions between a membrane’s surface and compounds in the feed water, which is one cause of membrane fouling. The benefit of the streaming potential method for zeta potential analysis, as presented here, is that membranes can be studied under environmental conditions. It thus allows for visualizing a membrane’s behavior in the technical process. - Life Sciences
Did you ever think about how shampoo and conditioner adsorb on your hair fibers? Or how they are washed off? Analysis of the change in zeta potential over time will tell you. - Semiconductor Industry
In the semiconductor industry, surface charge analysis can be applied as a direct tool to monitor wafer cleaning efficiency. It can help to optimize slurry conditions and reduce the efforts in post-CMP cleaning
Q&A Session
Can we measure zeta pot of micro-particles size of 18-55 um?
Yes. The instrument of choice for zeta potential of particles as small as 3.8 nm is the Litesizer 500 from Anton Paar. Starting from a particle size of 25 µm, the SurPASS 3 with its proprietary Cylindrical Cell can be used.
What effect does dissolved oxygen concentration have on membrane z-potential measurements?
Oxygen entry into the electrolyte solution is minimized due to the Nitrogen purge of the electrolyte solution.
What are the potential root causes for “zeta potential drift” (a shift in the z-pot vs. pH curve over time for the same material, but not the same sample)?
Zeta potential is an interfacial property. If changes of the sample surface can be ruled out, it must be assured that the properties of the electrolyte solution do not change for a stable zeta potential reading.
Why does the inert polymer have an IEP of 4?
This has to do with the mechanism of charge formation on polymer surfaces. Charge formation on inert surfaces is due to preferential adsorption of OH- ions from the electrolyte solution on the polymer surface. H3O+ ion adsorption dominates at pH < 4 only. For more information see e.g.: Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science 15 (2010) 196-202 (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/
S1359029410000038).
Are there any correlation studies with ToF-SIMS, XPS or AES?
Correlations for solid surface zeta potential and XPS can e.g. be found in J. Electrochem. Soc. 141 (1994) 2465-2469 (https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1149/1.2055143).
Does CO2 in the atmosphere tend to acidify the pH and affect the readings?
In principle, yes. However, with SurPASS 3 the electrolyte solution is continuously purged with Nitrogen gas to prevent the CO2 effect. As such, CO2 from the atmosphere does not affect the zeta potential results.
If you have an emulsion or suspension with nanoparticles of different sizes (+- 50 nm) how do you differentiate the surface properties of the different particle sizes?
A differentiation of surface properties of different particle size is possible only after prior separation of the size fractions.
A cationic surfactant can be used to help repel positive particles, for leading-edge semiconductor apps, how do you then get rid of the surfactant than can be nm size? And can that affect nm range device surfaces?
An answer to this question requires deeper knowledge on this specific semiconductor application.
Will surface roughness affect the zeta potential? (Since it may influence the stream potential?)
Currently there is no evidence for a correlation between roughness and surface zeta potential.