In a study published in the journal Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, by Jordi Esquena, Coordinator of Unit 12 of NANBIOSIS, among others, it has been shown that the latex particles dispersed with graft-type polymeric surfactants have excellent colloidal stability, which is attributed to the repulsion forces between the particles, which arise from the presence of adsorbed surfactant molecules. These forces of repulsion have been studied by means of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), between an AFM tip and a latex particle, with the presence of surfactant adsorbed on both. It has been observed that this repulsion is maintained even at high concentrations of electrolyte, which has been attributed to the high hydration of the surfactant.
The results have allowed to explain the stabilization mechanism, being of great importance in systems where the control of the colloidal stability is a fundamental requirement.