Interaction forces between a deformable air bubble and a spherical particle of tuneable hydrophobicity and surface charge in aqueous solutions

[Display omitted] ► Control of energy barrier by tuning pH-dependent surface charge and hydrophobicity. ► Excellent fit of long-range repulsion with extended DLVO theory for deformable bubble. ► Strong effect of physicochemical property on forces between a probe and a bubble. Interaction forces between an air bubble and a spherical particle of moderate and tuneable surface charge density and hydrophobicity in aqueous solutions were measured using atomic force microscopy. Bitumen coated silica spheres were used as model particles of tuneable charge density and hydrophobicity due to pH-dependent ionisation of carboxylic acids at bitumen–water interfaces. The measured force profiles showed a long-range repulsion prior to jump into contact, indicating the rupture of intervening liquid film between the bitumen and bubble surfaces. The long-range repulsive force increased with increasing pH. The measured force profiles were analysed by adopting the model originally developed by White and co-workers to account for deformation and change in shape of bubbles before rupture of the intervening liquid film. Satisfactory agreement between the theory and measured force profiles was obtained, showing the suitability of the model to describe the measured interaction forces. The model was then used to study the physical parameters on the particle–bubble interaction forces prior to three phase contact line (TPCL) formation. The hydrophobic decay length, surface potential and size of bubble and probe particles, and ionic strength of the medium (KCl concentration) were found to have a strong influence on the predicted force profiles.