Research Interests

Professor Sides investigates complex topics involving electrochemistry, electrochemical engineering, colloid science, and solid-state materials.

Professor Sides has three current projects that demonstrate his work among topic areas that cross the boundary between the Solid State Materials group and the Complex Fluid Engineering group. Collaborating with Dennis Prieve, he investigates forces that move microparticles laterally on electrodes when electric fields are applied normally to the electrolyte/electrode interface. 2,8 While most investigators have concentrated on observing the in-plane motion, Prof. Sides and Prof. Prieve have been using Total Internal Reflection Microscopy to measure the out-of-plane motion, seeking clues to complex direct and induced forces that cause the particles to move. 6,9,13,16 The figure below shows two microparticles initially close to each other and adjacent to an indium tin oxide electrode. When an ac electric field is applied in the direction normal to the plane of the photo, the particles separate. The white dot is light scattering from the particles in the TIRM experiment. When the dots are visible, the particles are close to the electrode (200 nm gap), but when the dots are not visible the particles are much farther away, approaching a micron. Thus the photos show the intimate connection between the vertical motion of the particles and their lateral separation. Prof. Sides is also developing a novel instrument based on a rotating disk for quick and convenient determination of the zeta potential of macroscopic (> 1 mm significant dimension) surfaces. 15 This device is being marketed to instrument makers for possible commercialization. Finally, Professor Sides collaborates with Prof. Gellman in an investigation of enantiospecific adsorption of amino acids on chiral mineral surfaces. This is a new collaboration as of 2005. Prof. Sides and Prof. Gellman will be exploring the adsorption of amino acids in both UHV and in aqueous phases to explore the potential of natural single crystal mineral surfaces to act as enantioselective agents.

Representative Publications

C. Strunk, C. Zahn, P. Sides, "Comparison of the Phase Metrics DFHT IV and Zygo Pegasus 2000 fly height testers," Applied Optics 40 4507 (2001)

P. Sides "Electrohydrodynamic Particle Aggregation on an Electrode Driven by an Alternating Electric Field Normal to It" Langmuir 17 5791-5800 (2001).

P. Sides, J. Anderson, H. Kasumi, S. Guelcher, Y. Solomentsev, "Electrokinetic and Themocapillary Flow Driven Aggregation of Particles and Bubbles on Surfaces , " in Transport Processes in Bubbles, Drops, and Particles, 2nd ed. D. De Kee and R. Chhabra, eds., Taylor and Francis Inc., New York (2002) pp 55-78.

P. Sides, "Scaling of differential equations: Analysis of the Fourth Kind," Chemical Engineering Education pp 232-235 Summer (2002).

P. Sides "A Thermocapillary Mechanism for Lateral Motion of Bubbles on a Heated surface during Subcooled Nucleate Boiling" J. Heat Transfer 124 1203-1207 (2002).

J. Fagan, D. Prieve, P. Sides, "The Vertical Oscillatory Motion of a Single Colloidal Particle Adjacent to an Electrode in an ac Electric Field," Langmuir (2002), 18 7810-7820.

J. Kim, J. Anderson, S. Garoff , P. Sides, "Effects of Zeta Potential and Electrolyte on Particle Interactions on an Electrode under ac Polarization," Langmuir 18 5387-5391 (2002).

Sides, P. J., "Calculation of Electrohydrodynamic Flow around a Single Particle on an Electrode," Langmuir 19 2745-2751 (2003).

Fagan, J. A. Sides, P. J. Prieve, D. C. "Calculation of ac Electric Field Effects on the Average Height of a Charged Colloid: Effects of Electrophoretic and Brownian Motions," Langmuir 19 6627-6632 (2003).

Haebum Yun, Mark E. Patton, James H. Garrett, Jr., Gary K. Fedder, Kevin M. Frederick, Jung Jiin Hsu, Irving J. Lowe, Irving J. Oppenheim, Paul J. Sides, "Detection of Free Chloride in Concrete by NMR" Cement and Concrete Research 34 379-390 (2004).

H. Kasumi, P. Sides, J. Anderson, "Interactions between two bubbles on a hot or cold wall," J. Coll. Interf. Sci. , 276 239-247 (2004).

C. W. Strunk and P. J. Sides "Calibration Method for Measurement of Linear Nanometric Distances by Scattered Total Internal Reflection " Applied Optics 43 2046-2053 (2004).

J. Fagan, D. Prieve, P. Sides "Vertical Motion of a Charged Colloidal Particle near an AC Polarized Electrode with a Non-Uniform Potential Distribution: Theory and Experimental Evidence," Langmuir (2004), 20(12), 4823-4834.

Y. Ding, S. Majetich , H. Rollins, P. Sides "High Pressure treatment and phase transformation of FePt nanoparticles" IEEE Trans. Magn. vol 284C, pp. 336-341 (2004)

P. Sides and J. D. Hoggard, "Measurement of the Zeta Potential of Planar Solid Surfaces by Means of a Rotating Disk," Langmuir (2004), 20 , 11493-11498.

J. Fagan, P. Sides, D. Prieve "Evidence of Multiple Electrohydrodynamic Forces Acting on a Colloidal Particle near an Electrode Due to an Alternating Current Electric Field," Langmuir 21 ASAP (2005).