Surface Chemistry and Engineering
Research Interests:
- Lubrication in thin films
- Peptide, polymer and surfactant adsorption and self-assembly
- Colloidal stability
- Surface forces
- Enantioselectivity in adsorption
- Nanobubbles
- Hydrogen storage
Dr William Ducker
wducker@vt.edu
 |
Nanobubbles at the interface between hydrophobic silica and water, Zhang, X. H. et al Physical Review Letters |
 |
Peptides at interfaces Mosse et al. Langmuir |
 |
AFM measurements of Hydrodynamic forces in thin squeeze films, Honig, Physical Review Letters |
 |
Research Highlights
- Validation of the no-slip boundary condition for the solid-liquid interface.
- Spectroscopic proof of nanobubble existence.
- Development of enzymatic nanolithography method.
- Understanding of the role of dynamic adsorption in colloidal stability.
- Elucidation of the structure and forces occurring in surface aggregates of surfactant molecules.
- Determination of correlations between forces acting on individual particles, and the rheology and consolidation of many-particle systems.
- Development of method for measuring the forces on colloidal particles.
Recent Publications
- Simple Method for Controlled Association of Colloidal-Particle Mixtures using pH-Dependent Hydrogen Bonding, Starck, P.; Ducker, W. A., Langmuir.
- Peptides Grafted from Solids for the Control of Interfacial Properties, Mosse, W. K. J.; Koppens, M.L.;. Gengenbach, T. R.; Scanlon, D. B.; Gras, S. L.; Ducker, W.A. Langmuir.
- Squeeze Film Lubrication in Silicone Oil: Experimental Test of the No-Slip Boundary Condition at Solid-Liquid Interfaces, Honig, C. D. F.; Ducker, W. A., Journal of Physical Chemistry C , 2008, 112, 17324-17330.
- Approximate prediction of adhesion between two solids immersed in surfactant solution based on adsorption to an isolated solid, Lokar, W. J.; Ducker, W. A., Colloid Surf. A-Physicochem. Eng. Asp. 2008, 322, 256-260.
- Nanobubbles at the interface between water and a hydrophobic solid, Zhang, X. H.; Quinn, A.; Ducker, W. A., Langmuir, 2008, 24, 4756-4764.
Group Members
I have recently moved from the University of Melbourne in Australia to Virginia Tech in the US.I currently have groups in both places.
| Virginia Tech | ||
| HongyingZhao | Post-Doc | Lubrication forces in thin films |
| Dean Mastorpaetro | Ph. D. Candidate | Lubrication forces in thin films |
| Miles Dion | Undergraduate | Self-assembly |
| Michael Rap | Undergraduate | Self-assembly |
| Nic Rorrer | Undergraduate | Self-assembly |
| Paul Baranowski | Undergraduate | Nanobubbles |
| University of Melbourne | ||
| Xuehua Zhang | Post-Doc | Nanobubbles |
| Merran Koppins | Post-Doc | Peptide films |
| Ziyang Lu | Post-Doc | Particle Assembly |
| Suihab Ali | Research Assistant | Hydrogen Storage |
| Annette Habich | Ph. D. Candidate | Enantioselectivity at interfaces |
| Chris Honig | Post-Doc | Lubrication in thin films |
| Nathan Nicholas | Ph. D. Candidate | Crystal growth and dissolution |
| Wade Moss | Ph. D. Candidate | Peptide Films |