Field theory of electrolyte solutions

The main goal of the project has been to develop a better microscopic description of electrostatic interactions in colloidal systems. We have developed a variational field theory that consistently incorporates ion-ion correlation effects, dispersion interactions, and image charge interactions. This theory has been applied to investigate the influence of electrolytes on the interaction between colloidal particles at low to moderate electrolyte concentrations. The theory has also been modified to study coulomb systems in the strong coupling regime. This theory has been applied to study the interaction between charged surfaces with neutralizing counterions and salt, with good agreement between theory and simulation. We have also studied specific-ion effects, such as the Hofmeister series, which has been a long standing problem in chemistry and biology. In particular, we have included ion polarizability in the theory and studied the double layer interaction at the mean field level.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo