SOLS, PREPARATIONS OF SOLS,

AND PROPERTIES OF SOLS

 DEFINITION OF SOLS

A sol is a colloidal system whose dispersion medium is a liquid

or gas. Sol is a dis-persion of a solid in a liquid (such as
clusters of gold atoms in water) or of a solid in a solid (such as
ruby glass, which is a gold-in-glass sol, and achieves its colour
by lightscattering). A sol is a colloid made out of very small
solid particles in a continuous liquid medium. Sols are quite
stable and show the Tyndall effect. Examples include blood,
pigmented ink, cell fluids, paint, antacids and mud.
Based on the nature of interaction between the dispersed phase
and the dispersion medium, colloids can be classified as:
• Hydrophilic colloids: The colloid particles are attracted toward
water. They are also called reversible sols.
• Hydrophobic colloids: These are opposite in nature to
hydrophilic colloids. The colloid particles are repelled by
water. They are also called irreversible sols.
Colloids that have a liquid dispersion medium are differentiated
into lyophilic colloids and lyophobic colloids. This classification
is based on the interaction between the dispersed particles and
the dispersing medium.
 PREPARATIONS OF SOLS

Colloids that have a liquid dispersion medium are differentiated

into lyophilic colloids and lyophobic colloids. This classification
is based on the interaction between the dispersed particles and
the dispersing medium.
Lyophilic colloids can be prepared by just heating the solid with
the liquid dispersion medium. Whereas the lyophobic colloids
cannot be prepared just by heating, they need to be prepared by
some special methods.
Lyophilic means ‘liquid-loving’ or ‘solvent-
attracting’. This means that in this colloidal
solution there is a strong attraction
between the dispersed phase and
dispersion medium, i.e., the dispersed 1.
phase has great affinity for the dispersion LYOPHILIC
medium that results in the extensive
solvation of the colloidal particles. In such
solids, the dispersed phase does not easily
precipitate and the sols are quite stable.
These sols are reversible in nature.
• Starch Sol
Starch forms lyophilic sol when water is used as the dispersion
medium. The formation of sol is accelerated by heating. Starch
sol can be prepared by heating it and water at 100 °C. It is
quite stable and is not affected by the presence of any
electrolytic impurity.
• Gum Sol
Like starch gum also form lyophilic sol with water. Instead of
boiling water, warm water is used to for the preparation of sol
because gum is quite soluble in warm water.
• Egg Albumin Sol
Egg albumin which is obtained from eggs forms lyophilic sol
with cold water. The sol is quite stable and is not affected by
the presence of traces of impurities.
Lyophobic means ‘liquid-hating’. That
means in these sols, there is little or no
interaction between the dispersed phase
and the dispersion medium ie, dispersed
phase has little affinity for dispersion 2.
medium. These sols are easily precipitated LYOPHOBIC
by the addition of small amounts of
electrolyte, by heating or by shaking,
therefore these sols are relatively less
stable than lyophilic sols. They need
stabilising agents for their preparation.
• Ferric Hydroxide Sol
Ferric hydroxide forms lyophobic sols on treatment with water.
Ferric hydroxide sol is prepared by the hydrolysis of ferric
chloride with boiling distilled water. The reaction takes place is
as follows.
The hydrolysis reaction produces insoluble ferric hydroxide
particles which undergo agglomerisation to yield bigger
particles of colloidal dimensions. These particles absorb Fe3+
ions preferentially from the solution to give positive charge to
the sol particles. Stability of sol is due to the charge on the sol
particles. Hydrochloric acid produced during hydrolysis must be
removed from the sol because it destabilizes the sol. HCl can
be removed from the sol by dialysis process otherwise sol will
not be stable.
• Aluminium Hydroxide Sol
It is also hydrophobic in nature and is obtained by the
hydrolysis of aluminium chloride.

Hydrochloric acid produced during the hydrolysis is removed by

dialysis because aluminium hydroxide sol is affected by the
presence of ionic impurities.
• Arsenious Sulphide Sol
It is a lyophobic sol obtained by the hydrolysis of arseniuos
oxide with boiling distilled water, followed by passing H2S gas
through it.
The two methods by which the lyophobic colloids can be
prepared are as follows:
1. Dispersion method
In this type of preparation method, the larger particles are
broken down into particles of the range of colloidal particle
size.
Some dispersion methods are:
• Mechanical Dispersion:
In this method, solid and the liquid dispersion medium are
poured into the colloidal mill to form a colloidal sol.
• Bredig’s Arc method (Electrodispersion):
Hydrosols of metals e.g., platinum, silver, gold are prepared by
this method. The metal electrodes are kept at the two sides of
the arc which is enclosed by deionized water. The excessive
heat provided by the spark vaporizes some traces of the metal
and water gets condensed by vapour. Some amount of KOH is
added to water as a stabilizing agent.
Peptization:
In peptization method, some electrolytes are added to form a
colloidal sol from a freshly prepared precipitate.
Example: Ferric chloride is added to a freshly prepared
precipitate of ferric hydroxide which converts it into a colloidal
sol of reddish brown.
2. Aggregation method
In this method, small particles are aggregated to form colloidal
size particles.
• Double Decomposition:
Example: Arsenious oxide is mixed with hydrogen sulfide to
form arsenic sulfide sol. The excess amount of hydrogen sulfide
is removed by passing stream of hydrogen.
As 2 O 3 + 3H 2 S → As 2 S 3 (sol) + 3H 2 O
2. Aggregation method
In this method, small particles are aggregated to form colloidal
size particles.
• Double Decomposition:
Example: Arsenious oxide is mixed with hydrogen sulfide to
form arsenic sulfide sol. The excess amount of hydrogen sulfide
is removed by passing stream of hydrogen.
As 2 O 3 + 3H 2 S → As 2 S 3 (sol) + 3H 2 O
• Reduction:
Example: Noble gases are reacted with organic reducing agents
like ethanol, tannic acid, formaldehyde to form their respective
sol.
AgNO 3 + tannic acid → Ag-sol
• Oxidation:
When hydrogen sulfide is passed through a solution of sulfur
dioxide it forms a sulfur sol.
2 H 2 S + SO 2 → 2H 2 O + S
Lyophilic Sol Lyophobic Sol

Relatively stable as strong force of interaction exists between Less stable as weak force of interaction exists between
dispersed phase and dispersion medium dispersed phase and dispersion medium.

Can be prepared directly by mixing dispersed phase with Cannot be prepared directly by mixing dispersed phase and
dispersion medium. dispersion medium.

No need of stabilisers during preparation. Additional stabilisers are required during preparation.

They are reversible in nature. They are irreversible in nature.

These are usually formed by organic substances like starch, These are usually formed by inorganic materials like metals and
gum, proteins etc. their oxides, sulphides etc.
Lyophilic Sol Lyophobic Sol

They are highly viscous and have higher viscosity than that of the
They have nearly the same viscosity as that of the medium.
medium.

They are highly hydrated. They are not much hydrated.

Particles cannot be detected even under an ultramicroscope. Particles can be detected under an ultramicroscope.

Charge on the lyophobic sol can be postive or negative. As 2S3 sol

Charge on the lyophilic sol can be postive, negative or netural.
is -ve and Fe(OH)3 sol is +ve in nature.

Depending on the charge, their particles migrate to either Depending on the charge, their particles migrate only in one
direction of an electric field. direction of an electric field.

Surface tension is usually lower than that of the dispersion Surface tension is nearly the same as that of the dispersion
medium. medium.
 PROPERTIES OF SOLS

1. OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF SOLS:

Sols exhibit Tyndall effect:
When a strong beam of light is passed through a sol and viewed at
right angles, the path of light shows up as a hazy beam or cone.
This is due to the fact that sol particles absorb light energy and
then emit it in all directions in space. This ‘scattering of light’, as it
is called, illuminates the path of the beam in the colloidal
dispersion.
The phenomenon of the scattering of light by the sol particles is
called Tyndall effect.
The illuminated beam or cone formed by the scattering of light by
the sol particles is often referred as Tyndall beam or Tyndall cone.
2. KINETIC PROPERTIES OF SOLS:
Brownian Movement:
The continuous rapid zig-zag movement executed by a colloidal
particle in the dispersion medium is called Brownian movement
or motion.
This motion is independent of the nature of the colloidal
particles. It is more rapid when the size of the particles is small
and the solution is less viscous.
3. ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF SOLS
The sol particles carry an electric charge:
The most important property of colloidal dispersions is that all
the suspended particles posses either a positive or a negative
charge. The mutual forces of repulsion between similarly
charged particles prevent them from aggregating and settling
under the action of gravity. This gives stability to the sol. The
sol particles acquire positive or negative charge by preferential
adsorption of positive or negative ions from the dispersion
medium.
For example, a ferric hydroxide sol particles are positively
charged because these adsorb Fe 3 + ions from ferric chloride
(FeCl 3 ) used in the preparation of the sol. Since the sol as a
whole is neutral, the charge on the particle is counterbalanced
by oppositely charged ions termed counterions (in this case Cl - )
furnished by the electrolyte in medium.
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