Abstract

Surface and colloid chemistry is now recognized to play a very important role in everyday life. Accordingly, the number of research publications related to this subject is also very extensive. Therefore, it is useful to delineate in this chapter some recent advances and general remarks, as related to the fundamental principles of the subject. All natural phenomena are defined by scientific observations of the matter surrounding the earth and heaven. It has been recognized that the science needs information on the structures of the matter (defined as solids, liquids, gases) (Figure 1.1). Research conducted during the last decades has shown that one needs a much more detailed picture of these structures in all kinds of processes (chemical industry and technology and natural biological phenomena). Application of this research has been relevant to many modern industrial innovations (as regards future challenges: drinking water, energy resources [conventional and non-conventional oil/gas reservoirs], food, clean air, transportation, pollution control, housing, health and medicine, paper, printing, etc.).