Fluctuations in the number of irreversibly adsorbed particles

Fluctuations in the number of colloid particles adsorbed irreversibly under pure diffusion transport conditions were determined as a function of surface density and ionic strength of the suspension. The experiments were carried out for monodisperse polystyrene latex particles of micrometer size range adsorbing irreversibly at mica surface. The surface density of adsorbed particles at various areas was determined using the direct microscope observation method. A new experimental cell was used enabling in situ observations of particles adsorption under conditions of negligible gravity effects. It was found that the particle density fluctuations for high ionic strength were in a good agreement with the theoretical results derived from the random sequential adsorption (RSA) model. Also, the theoretical results stemming from the equilibrium scaled particle theory reflected the experimental data satisfactorily. For lower ionic strength a deviation from the hard sphere behavior was experimentally demonstrated. This effect due to the repulsive electrostatic interactions was interpreted in terms of the effective hard particle concept. The universal dependence of variance on particle density obtained in this way was found in a good agreement with the RSA model for all ionic strength. These results proved that fluctuations in particle density of monolayer formed under diffusional conditions differ fundamentally from these obtained under ballistic transport conditions. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-9606(00)71547-9].