The mechanical properties of interfaces separating two immiscible fluids have a substantial influence on the dynamics of numerous in vivo and industrial systems such as cells, lung alveoli, emulsions, and foams. Since the ability of complex interfaces to withstand stresses can govern the macroscopic behavior of such systems, an instrument allowing for the quantification of the interfacial shear dynamic moduli (viscous and elastic modulus) is an excellent tool to study this kind of materials.
In this webinar, we are discussing the fundamentals and functionalities of the ISR Flip. We are explaining the physics of the instrument, where a mobile magnetic trap along with a magnetic needle is used to impose a controlled shear deformation on a given interface. The acquisition of the raw data and the integrated method of analysis is discussed too, which will allow us to enumerate the main benefits of this technology. Then, we are paying attention to how the instrument should be operated, from the calibration procedure to the use of different operation modes. In the final part of the webinar, we are sharing some recent results on the rheological characterization of Langmuir monolayers.
Presenter: Javier Tajuelo Rodriguez, Associate Professor, UNED.
Javier Tajuelo completed his degree in Physics at UNED (Madrid, Spain) in 2012, joining the Department of Fundamental Physics as a Ph.D. student in 2013. The focus of his research during this stage was the design and construction of an interfacial shear stress rheometer based on a mobile magnetic trap and its application to the study of phase transitions in Langmuir monolayers. He has been a postdoctoral researcher at the Applied Physics Department of the University of Granada (Spain) and the Chemical Engineering Department of the Stanford University (USA), investigating topics such as the capacity of precision-like magnetic fields to enhance the mechanical response of magnetorheological fluids, or the role of interfacial viscoelasticity in the stability of emulsions. Since 2019 he is an Associate Professor at the Interdisciplinary Physics Department of UNED.
